Mandera court frees 8 Muslim clerics
Some of the 12 suspected Islamic clerics at the Mandera Law Courts on October 6, 2015. A court has ordered the release of eight of the clerics. PHOTO | MANASE OTSIALO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
A court has ordered the release of eight of the 12 Islamic clerics arrested on October 4 in Mandera County.
Mandera Resident Magistrate Dancun Mtai on Thursday ruled that the suspects should report to the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) every two weeks until any other orders are issued by the court.
The suspects had been arrested on suspicion that they were radicalising and recruiting youths to join Al-Shabaab.
Those freed are Mr Ahmed Noor Adan, Mr Abdi Mohamed Ahmed, Mr Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed, Mr Osman Abdullahi Mude, Mr Yusuf Maalim Mohamed, Mr Adan Ibrahim Issack, Mr Abdi Mohamed Adan and Mr Abdiaziz Hassan Issack.
Through State Counsel Allen Mulama, the ATPU returned to court on Thursday seeking orders to release and compel the eight suspects to report to them for further investigations.
“We want them to be reporting at the offices to aid investigations that are still underway for the remaining four suspects and we have considered their constitutional rights and by this fact, we came to court before the five days granted on Tuesday expired,” submitted Mr Mulama.
On Tuesday, the court allowed the ATPU to detain the suspects for five days to carry out investigations.
