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Kenya bomb: Cops hold cleric
03/04/2003 13:11 - (SA)
Nairobi - Kenyan police have detained for questioning a Muslim cleric on suspicion of involvement in November's car bomb attack on a hotel frequented by Israelis in the port city of Mombasa, a senior investigator said on Thursday.
"He is in custody here (Nairobi). We picked him up in Mombasa on Tuesday on suspicion that he was involved in terrorist activities," Matthew Kabetu, the head of Kenya's anti-terrorism police unit, said.
Police have since the attacks detained a total of 17 people, all Muslims, who they said were linked to the bombing, but all have been released for lack of evidence.
Kabetu said police will interrogate the Kenyan Muslim preacher to find out whether there was anything "to link him to the November 28 attack" when suicide bombers rammed an explosive-packed vehicle into the Israeli-owned Mombasa Paradise Hotel, killing 12 Kenyans and three Israeli tourists.
Three presumed bombers are believed to have died in the blast.
Moments earlier, missiles narrowly missed a plane with 260 Israeli tourists on board as it took off from Mombasa airport.
Last week, investigators probing the Mombasa attacks freed without charge three men said to be US-trained pilots after questioning them for five days.
Kenya's Islamic clergy have complained that Kenyan and US investigators are singling out Muslims for harassment in the course of the investigations.
Police have named two key suspects in the investigation who who are still at large. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA
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