By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
A medical doctor was on Friday convicted of several offences arising from Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act.
The conviction was before the Milimani Chief Magistrate’s Court.
According to a statement from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Mohamed Abdi Ali alias Abu Fidaa, alias Abu Shuhadaa, alias Abu Ramzi had been charged with being a member of a terrorist group, namely the ISIS terror group.
He also faced charts of organizing a meeting in support of terrorist groups, recruitment of members to a terrorist group, collection of information, and possession of articles connected with the commission of terrorist acts.
While delivering the judgment, the Chief Magistrate, Martha Mutuku currently at Kerugoya Magistrate Court, ruled that the prosecution proved the case against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.
During the hearing of the case, the prosecution presented testimonies from 26 witnesses, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), FBI from US and Uganda Police.
In its sentencing submission, the prosecution led by Duncan Ondimu sought a custodial sentence of up to 90 years.
Ondimu told the court that the charges facing the accused were serious in nature and they would have had a huge on the country.
The defenseless nature of the victims, the intelligence of the convict, who is a medical doctor, implying that he knew what he was doing, and the fact that he would have used technology to perpetrate the crimes are other basis the prosecution wants custodial sentence issued.
The court, however, acquitted Nuseibah Mohamed Haji, Alias Umm Fidaa, and Alias Ummu Fidaa who had been charged together with the convict.
Abdi Ali was arrested on the 29th April, 2016 at his residence in Wote Town within Makueni County, while Nuseibah Mohamed Haji was arrested at the Entebbe International Airport in the Republic of Uganda pursuant to investigations that linked them to the intended establishment of an ISIS caliphate in Kenya and East Africa.
The sentencing for the medical doctor is scheduled for April 22, 2024.