Britain terror suspect denied link to explosives, witness says

British terror suspect Jermaine Grant denied being the owner of a flash disc that contained procedures of making explosives, a court heard on Wednesday.

A former detective with the Anti-Terrorist Police Unit (ATPU), corporal Kennedy Opasi, said Mr Grant denied knowledge of the flash disc although detectives had claimed they found it inside his waist pouch.

Mr Opasi, who was being questioned about the evidence by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jacob Ondari, said he came to know the content of the flash disc after receiving reports from Scotland Yard.

The officer, who is now under Mombasa County's police command, was testifying in a case in which Mr Grant is charged with being in possession of explosive materials.

Mr Opasi said he interrogated Mr Grant at Makupa Police Station, where he was being held after his arrest.

GRANT 'OPENED UP'

The officer said that at the police station, Mr Grant “opened up” and said his real name was Jermaine Jhon Grant, not Peter Joseph, and that he was not a Canadian but a Briton.

“We shared a lot with Jermaine Grant, some (information) is for intelligence purposes and I cannot tell the court,” said Mr Opasi.

Mr Opasi said that during investigations in the case, the ATPU wrote to the British high commission requesting assistance.

He said Mr Grant was arrested alongside Mr Fuad Abubakar and Ms Warda Breik on December 19, 2011, and the three were taken to different police stations to prevent them from speaking to one another.

Mr Opasi said that after the arrest of Mr Grant and Mr Abubakar, detectives went to conduct a search at the house where they found Ms Breik. During the search, Ms Breik dashed to the toilet and flushed water.

FLUSHED SIM CARD

“When coming out, she was holding a mobile phone, she was struggling to return the battery,” said Mr Opasi, adding that at that moment they realized she had removed the phone's SIM card and flushed it.

Mr Opasi said he was surprised by Ms Breik's conduct.

During cross examination by defence lawyer Chacha Mwita, the officer said he did not indicate the accused was made aware of his rights.

Mr Grant, alias Ali Mohamed, has been charged alongside Ms Breik and Mr Frank Nyenyo.

He, together with Ms Breik, is facing the charge of being in possession of explosive materials.

In the second count, in which they have jointly been charged with Mr Nyenyo, they allegedly jointly with others not before court conspired to improvise an explosive device with the intent to cause loss of lives and harm to innocent citizens.

Initially, they had been charged alongside Mr Abubakar, who, the prosecution says, is now at large.

The hearing resumes Thursday.