Today, Chief magistrate Francis Andayi expected to announce the sentence of 3 suspects accused – among other charges of conspiring to commit terrorism.
The suspects are said to have aided gunmen/helped coordinate the Westgate mall attack in 2013.
Seven years ago, on September 21, 2013, four-armed Islamist extremists hailing from al-Shabab carried out a 4-day siege at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi resulting in 67 people losing their lives – with the 4 attackers themselves alleged to have been killed in the brutal standoff.
The gunmen are believed to have died when the Kenyan army retook the mall. The three suspects were arrested in the weeks following the attack.
The prosecution had over 140 witnesses that testified in the case.
The accused persons were charged with 12 counts, some joint others separately. They are jointly charged with counts one and two with a commission of a terrorist act and conspiracy to commit a terrorist act respectively, contrary to the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The suspects — Liban Abdullahi, Hussein Mustafa and Ahmed Abdi – are also charged with giving support to a terrorist group, aiding a terrorist group and being in the country illegally.
