Suspects in court over Nairobi terror attack

Six suspects, including a Canadian citizen, appeared in a Kenyan court Friday in connection with an Islamist attack on a Nairobi hotel complex that left 21 dead. A magistrate granted a request from the prosecution to detain four men and one woman for 30 days while investigations continue. A report on the EWN site notes that a sixth suspect can be held until later this week. The suspects are accused of ‘possible involvement’ in the almost 20-hour siege of the DusitD2 hotel and office complex by a suicide bomber and four gunmen who were killed by security forces. ‘The investigations into this matter are complex and transnational and would, therefore, require sufficient time and resources to uncover the entire criminal syndicate,’ a statement from Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji said.

Meanwhile, another court has ruled that there was enough evidence to charge three suspects in connection with the deadly attack on the Westgate shopping mall in the capital, Nairobi which left at least 67 people dead. Legalbrief reports that there are conflicting reports about the number killed in the attack because part of the mall collapsed due to a fire that started during the siege. Extremist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility as retribution for the Kenyan military's deployment in its home country of Somalia. BBC News reports that Ahmed Abdi, Liban Omar and Hussein Mustafa are set to be charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist attack. Police believe the suspects sheltered the mall attackers in Eastleigh, a mainly Somali district of Nairobi. None of them are accused of carrying out the attack itself. Magistrate Francis Andayi released a fourth suspect, Adan Dheq, due to lack of evidence.