Sentencing of 3 Westgate terror attack suspects postponed, again

A court in Nairobi has postponed delivery of its judgment on three people accused of masterminding the deadly Westgate Mall terror attack in 2013.

Chief magistrate Francis Andayi said Monday that the judgment was not ready for delivery as some sections needed to be tied up.

He was expected to render the decision in the morning, having postponed  it on September 18, but he rescheduled the session to 12.30pm and then again to 2.30pm.

And when he turned to court, the magistrate pronounced that his judgement on the guilt or innocence of the accused person was still not yet ready to be passed.

“This matter started in 2013. I acknowledge that it has taken long but I need time to write the judgment. I am tying up on some sections,” Mr Andayi told the accused, who had waited calmly to know their fate.

The courtroom was packed with a battery of local and international journalists, orderlies, police and a few of the suspects’ relatives.

The magistrate, who attributed the delay to voluminous work, said he will read the judgment at 2pm Tuesday.

Many charges

Mohammed Ahmed Abdi, Adan Hussein Hassan Mustafah and Liban Abdullah Omar, with the help of a translator, did not complain about the development.

They face 12 counts related to commission of a terrorist act, conspiracy to commit a terrorist act, giving support to a terrorist group and being in the country illegally.

A fourth suspect was set free.

The attack on September 21, 2013 in the upscale Nairobi mall left 67 people dead and several others wounded.

Terror group Al-Shabaab, which is based in Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack that caused a four-day siege.