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Kenya charges 4 suspects over Mandera terror attacks

Xinhua, March 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Kenyan court on Wednesday charged four suspects with murder of 36 people at a quarry site in northern border town of Mandera in December last year.

The suspects, a Kenyan and three Somalis, however denied the murder charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Enock Cherono in Nairobi.

The court heard that the accused -- Abubakar Salim Kitonga, Maslah Daud Hassan, Musa Daud Hassan, Shukri Abdi Salat -- jointly with others, who were not before the court, carried out a terrorism act, which resulted in the death of 36 people on December 2, 2014.

Kitonga, the Kenyan, who was the mastermind, was again charged with being in possession of a terrorism article contrary to the law. The suspect was found in possession of a Nokia mobile phone, a sim card and a micro SD memory card, which had an article for use in terrorism acts.

The other three accused, who are Somali nationals, faced a separate charge of being in the country illegally. Two of them were also charged with being in possession of materials, including a mobile phone, which they used in instigating the commission of the terrorism act.

State Prosecute Daniel Karori said tension was still high in Mandera County, saying some witnessed have expressed fear in giving evidence against the respondents for fear of possible retaliation by the Al-Shabaab.

Karori asked the court to deny the suspects bond until the case is heard and determined because of the serious nature of the offence and being a flight risk.

"The offense committed is of extremely serious nature and the accused are likely to be sentenced upon conviction. The accused should remain in custody until the case is heard and determined," he told the magistrate, which will make a ruling on bail application on Thursday.

The suspects were arrested after a group of 36 quarry miners were ambushed and killed by gunmen in Bulla Arabia, 20 km from Mandera Town last December. Endi