NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 7 – Two suspects convicted on Wednesday of an offence of conspiracy to support terror attackers at Westgate Mall in 2013, where 67 people perished, will be sentenced on October 22.
Nairobi Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi, held in his judgement that Mohammed Abdi and Hassan Abdullahi Mustafa, conspired with the terror attackers, that caused deaths and damage to property.
He however acquitted Liban Omar, who was jointly with the two for lack of evidence.
The trial magistrate said the sentences will be issued after a pre-sentencing report is filed by the prosecution.
The three accused persons had been remanded in prison alongside another co-accused for the last seven years.
The court in its judgment issued in a span of four hours, said that the prosecution had proven its case against the two convicted on Wednesday beyond reasonable doubt.
The lead prosecutor Edwin Okwlllo, had submitted that the two accused, were indeed in communication with the attackers, and the investigating officer had recovered a laptop from Abdi that contained material relating to terrorism activities.
“The videos shown to the court during the trial showed materials used by the terror suspects,” he submitted.
The court observed that the laptop containing the materials was recovered from Abdi who was arrested in Kitale three days after the attack. He was on his way to Kakuma refugee camp.
According to the prosecution, four attackers were killed at the scene and several exhibits recovered from the motor vehicle they used. They included five mobile phones and six registered sim cards.
The prosecution’s case was supported by data analysis based on communication between the accused and the attackers.
