Shabaab militant handed 59 years

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By VINCENT AGOYA vagoya@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Thursday, September 20  2012 at  22:30

IN SUMMARY

• The 26-year-old Omar Abdi Aden, alias Salman Abdi, was convicted on his own plea of guilt

A member of al-Shabaab who admitted plotting to launch a major terror attack in Nairobi this month was on Thursday sentenced to 59 years in jail.

The 26-year-old Omar Abdi Aden, alias Salman Abdi, was convicted on his own plea of guilt.

He faced nine terrorism charges before a Nairobi court. He is also to pay a fine of Sh2 million or serve an extra year behind bars if he defaults.

The militant was arrested in a sting operation in which police recovered suicide vests, grenades, explosives, guns and bullets that were to be used to execute the terror attack.

Showed no remorse

A psychiatric report presented in court showed he was mentally fit to participate in the proceedings.

Chief magistrate Lucy Nyambura said the suspect showed no remorse, and she penalised him on the weight of what the outcome of the planned attacks would have been if they had not been foiled.

Prosecutor Onesmus Towett told the court that Aden was arrested alongside a suspected accomplice, Abdi Majid Yassin, alias Ali Hussein, who has since denied the charges and is set for trial in October.

“The two were among other suspects, who are still at large, and are believed to be members of the outlawed Shabaab group,” Mr Towett told the court.

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He said through intelligence and police surveillance, it was discovered that the suspects were in the process of committing terror acts within the country and perhaps outside.

“They were operating within Nairobi and were arrested at a rented house in Eastleigh Estate,” he said.

The prosecutor said that on September 13, it became apparent that the terrorists were ready to strike.

“They were ready to carry out their illegal mission,” said Mr Towett, adding that a joint operation commissioned by the country’s security agents foiled the plot.

“The two were arrested after police moved to the location and laid an ambush in order to catch the suspects.”