Two suspected Al Shabaab terrorists charged with planning to bomb the Milimani Law Courts in 2018 were Tuesday found guilty.
Abadi Majit Hassan Adan and Mohammed Osman Nane were convicted of nine counts related to the act.
Senior Principal Magistrate Zainabu Abdul found the two guilty of possessing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) including seven projectile bombs to commit a terrorist act.
The two who were among the six suspects arrested in Merti in 2018 while transporting weapons to orchestrate the attack, were also found guilty of possessing 36 hand grenades and five specified firearms.
“The accused persons herein were arraigned before the court on 16 April 2018 where they faced nine (9) counts under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Penal Code to which they all pleaded not guilty,” read a court document.
“Subsequent dates were taken as Counsel for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th accused indicated that they were keen on pursuing a plea agreement.”
The court, however, acquitted two men who were jointly accused with the suspects during the arrest in 2018.
Anthony Kitila Makau and Francis Macharia Karishu were found innocent, while Lydia Nyawira Mburu was found guilty of forgery.
“As for count one, all accused persons are acquitted under section 215 of the SPC. As for counts 12, 13, and 14, Kitila is acquitted. In Count 15, accused 5 and 6 are acquitted…in Count 16, the fifth accused, Lydia Nyawira is found guilty of forgery of official documents while Francis Macharia is acquitted.
The sentencing will be delivered on February 27, 2023.
In 2018, the five denied the allegations of planning to attack court buildings and rescue Sheikh Guyo Gorsa who is being held over terror-related allegations.
Police claimed that the five intended to launch an attack at the Milimani Chief Magistrate’s Court on February 16 when Mr Gorsa was scheduled to answer to charges of terror.
During the arrests and investigations, detectives also found five AK-47 rifles and 36 fully loaded magazines, 36 unprimed hand grenades, 18 IEDs, three military knives, a black flag, and other paraphernalia associated with the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.
This to the police is a big win in the war against terrorism.
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