ATPU clears Eastleigh man accused of funding terror

 

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has cleared an Eastleigh businessman who accused of funding terrorists.

Detectives said the probe into reports that Abdullahi Mohamed Ali had defrauded Somali investors of close to Sh6 billion had stalled as none of the complainants made a formal report to any of the investigative agencies.

Various media outlets had widely reported that dozens of Somali MPs and investors both in Nairobi and the diaspora, especially from Saudi Arabia and Dubai, had pumped close to Sh6 billion into a forex trading company, Maalin Group Companies, associated with Ali.

With the funds in his account and the charge of terror financing looming, reports indicated, Ali fled the country, leaving the ‘investors’ with no legal recourse.

Part of the alleged colossal sum was aimed at funding terror activities, reports to police indicated. 

Ali was out of the country at the time. Police issued an international red alert against the businessman, barring him from entering the country.

He challenged the alert through his lawyers in court. The court allowed him to re-enter the country and submit to the investigative processes. 

According to Ali, the order barring him from coming back to the country was based on false allegations.

“I insisted on coming back to my country to revive our company and refund the investors,” he said.

But the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit has now said they launched investigations on June 30 but by last week had not found any links.

Prosecutor Duncan Ondimu last week told the court they did not intend to charge Ali.

“My instructions are that the investigations by the Anti-Terrorism Police have been completed. They do not wish to charge the applicant,” Ondimu told presiding judge Jessie Lesiit.