American bomb suspects freed

2002-11-30 14:59

Mombasa - An American woman and her Spanish husband were freed Saturday after two days of questioning by the Kenyan police investigating anti-Israeli attacks near here.

The woman, Alicia Kalhammer, of Florida, and her husband Jose Tena, of Madrid, both said they were "fine" after they were released from Mombasa port police station.

Kenyan police said Saturday that "no hard facts" had been found to link the couple to the anti-Israeli attacks in Mombasa, and that they might be set free.

A US official said in Washington on Friday that the couple, who were detained for questioning, "are innocent backpackers and were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," and expected them to be released shortly.

William Lang'at, the Kenyan police officer heading the investigation into the Mombasa attacks, said: "We have interviewed them and so far no hard facts have been found to link them with the attacks."

Green card

A US state department official who spoke to the press on condition of anonymity said the couple, who have not been identified, were on vacation in Kenya at the time of Thursday's attacks and were among 12 people picked up by authorities in a sweep of Mombasa.

The husband holds a US "green card," which entitles him to residency and employment in the United States, the official said.

The blast in the southeastern resort on the Indian Ocean killed at least 15 people, including three Israelis, when three suicide bombers attacked the Israeli-owned Paradise Mombasa Hotel.

At the same time, an Israeli passenger jet leaving Mombasa narrowly escaped being shot down by two missiles, the Kenyan authorities said. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA