Briton ‘disowned explosives manual’
What you need to know:
- “As she was coming out of the toilet, she had a mobile phone she was struggling to fix the battery,” he said, adding that it was at that moment that they realised she had removed the sim card and flushed it down the toilet.
British terrorism suspect Jermaine Grant refused to admit that a flash disc with bomb-making procedures was his.
A former detective at the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, Cpl Kennedy Opasi Wednesday said he had been told by colleagues that the flash disc was found in Mr Grant’s waist pouch.
Mr Opasi who was being led in his evidence by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jacob Ondari said he knew what the flash disc contained only after being briefed by Scotland Yard detectives.
The officer who is now under Mombasa County police command was testifying in a case in which Mr Grant has been charged with being in possession of explosive materials.
Mr Opasi said he went to interrogate the suspect at Makupa Police Station where he was being held after arrest.
The officer said the Briton told him his real name was Jermaine Jhon Grant and not Peter Joseph and that he was not a Canadian but a Briton.
“We shared a lot with Grant. I cannot divulge some information because it is for intelligence purposes,” Mr Opasi said.
He added that during the investigations, police wrote to the British High Commission requesting assistance.
He said Mr Grant was arrested alongside Fuad Abubakar and Ms Warda Breik on December 19, 2011 and taken to different police stations.
The officer said after the arrest, police went to search a house where they found Ms Breik.
He told Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Joyce Gandani that during the search, Ms Breik dashed to the toilet but did not relieve herself though they heard the toilet flushing.
FLUSHED IT DOWN THE TOILET
“As she was coming out of the toilet, she had a mobile phone she was struggling to fix the battery,” he said, adding that it was at that moment that they realised she had removed the sim card and flushed it down the toilet.
Mr Opasi said he was surprised by the conduct of Ms Breik.
There has been speculation that Mr Grant had links with another British terror suspect, Ms Samantha Lewthwaite.
During the cross examination, defence lawyer Chacha Mwita said the officer did not indicate if the accused was made aware of his rights.
Mr Grant who is also known as Ali Mohamed is charged alongside Breik and Frank Nyenyo. In the charge enjoining Nyenyo, they are accused of conspiring to make an explosive device with the intention of killing many.
Initially, they had been charged alongside Abubakar whom the prosecution said is still at large.
The case proceeds on Thursday.
