High Court freezes bail for Al-Shabaab suspects
Al-Shabaab members in Mogadishu. Four women, accused of being members of Al-Shabaab, will remain in custody after the High Court blocked a bail order by a magistrate’s court. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
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- But on Thursday, Justice Dorah Chepkwony issued the stay order following a successful application by the State, claiming that application to remand the accused until the determination of the case was of urgency.
Four women, accused of being members of Al-Shabaab, will remain in custody after the High Court blocked a bail order by a magistrate’s court.
The women had on Monday been released on a Sh500,000 bond each with two sureties of similar amounts by Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo.
Mr Odenyo had argued that the women who have been in custody since March were entitled to bond.
But on Thursday, Justice Dorah Chepkwony issued the stay order following a successful application by the State, claiming that application to remand the accused until the determination of the case was of urgency.
She ruled that the case be heard on Monday.
The suspects are Ms Ummulkheir Sadri Abdalla, Ms Khadija Abubakar Abdulkadir, Ms Maryam Said Aboud and Ms Halima Adan, who were arrested at a El-Wak border in Mandera on March 27 while allegedly sneaking to Somalia join Al-Shabaab.
They have denied the charge and are remanded at Shimo la Tewa prison.
Their lawyers Hamisi Mwadzogo and Chacha Mwita said they are university students who need bond to proceed with their education.
Ms Abdala had identified herself to the court as a Tanzanian national and a third year university student studying in Sudan. She said she needed medical attention.
