Security probes 20 Mombasa bank accounts over terrorism links
MOMBASA (Xinhua) The Kenya government is probing some 20 foreign and local bank accounts suspected to support terrorism activities in the country as police intensify war against criminal elements in the country.
Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Director Ndegwa Muhoro said Friday the accounts are being probed for having ties with the ‘al-Shabaab’ terror group activities.
“We can confirm that we are investigating suspicious accounts and once detectives build evidence will prosecute the individuals, ” Muhoro told Xinhua in an interview in Mombasa.
Muhoro said the Financial Reporting Center (FRC) based in Nairobi has received information of suspicious transactions and is already investigating suspected individuals.
The CID director said those behind the accounts will be arrested and prosecuted after the detectives concluded their investigations.
Muhoro said the FRC has obtained crucial leads from the alleged transaction accounts and announced that special units set up by the government are profiling accounts handling money from proceedings of crime.
“This is a war that we must win and we are not relenting.
“We are not purging any society or any religion,” said Muhoro and assured Kenyans and foreigners of the government commitment to counter terror in the country.
Muhoro said the financiers are accused of funding Al-Shabaab activities that include recruitment of terror suspects within the country.
Muhoro’s remarks come as thousands of ethnic Somalis have been arrested and detained in an ongoing security operation dubbed Usalama (security) Watch mainly in Eastleigh, a neighborhood of Nairobi.
The crackdown, which began on April, came after a series of explosions in Eastleigh, often known as “Little Mogadishu” because of it’s predominantly Somali population, that killed six people and injured more than 20.
Most of those arrested are being held at the Safaricom Stadium Kasarani, a popular national sports venue, which has now temporarily been converted into a police station.
‘al-Shabaab; has continued to forcibly recruit people into its ranks, including children and to target individuals perceived to support the Somali government and its partners.
The militants on March 05 publicly executed three alleged ‘spies’ in Barawe, one of the group’s strongholds.
According to police sources, the financiers include prominent businessmen believed to be sympathizers and harbouring terror suspects.
Muhoro said insecurity agencies are also monitoring several mosques including Riyadh in Nairobi and Mombasa’s ‘Masjid Mujahideen’ (former Sakina mosque) and ‘Masjid Shuhadaa’ (former Masjid Musa).
Muslim youth have forcefully taken over the two mosques in Mombasa that are believed to be a hotbed of militant Islamists.
The government said it would not allow places of worship to be used to radicalize young people.
Police said mosque is engaged in recruitment of disgruntled young Kenyan Muslims into Islamist group in Somalia. Muhoro urged the mosques’ leaders to setup committees to run the controversial mosques responsibly.
Detectives are analyzing violent sermons delivered at the two mosques. Special unit comprising police and immigration department has been set up to deal with terror threats in Mombasa.
Muhoro dismissed claims that the operation is being conducted inhumane by security agencies.
The government says the security operation is aimed at arresting the perpetrators of the attack and weeding out sympathizers of the insurgent ‘al-Shabaab’ militia, but Muslim and Somali community leaders, as well as rights activists, have vehemently opposed the move, arguing that it is another heavy- handed exercise unfairly targeting ethnic Somalis.
Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa said the process of issuance of passports and IDs has been tightened to ensure only genuine foreigners are allowed in the country.
Marwa has reassured both locals and foreigners of adequate security ahead of Easter holiday in the coastal city of Mombasa.
He said key installations including hotels, beaches, Likoni channel and airport have been secured by specialist teams of security agencies.