88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
Muslim cleric charged over sex tourism
Posted by CORRESPONDENT on January 7, 2013
The cleric of Bilal Muslim Mission identified in court documents as Sheikh Ali Samoja faced charges of trafficking a minor to Nairobi/FILE
NAKURU, Jan 7 Police have arraigned a Muslim cleric in a Nakuru court on Monday to face sex tourism charges.
The cleric of Bilal Muslim Mission identified in court documents as Sheikh Ali Samoja faced charges of trafficking a minor to Nairobi.
Once in Nairobi, the minor was allegedly defiled repeatedly by a Lebanese named Sayyid Muktadha.
The offence was committed on unspecified dates in July 2012.
He however denied the charges before Nakuru senior resident magistrate Paul Mayova.
A prosecutor Kingstone Oyier urged the magistrate to remand the accused in police custody until Thursday.
The investigation on the matter is still underway, we urge that the accused person be remanded at the Nakuru police station until the investigation is completed, he told the court.
His lawyer Gordon Ogola pleaded to have the accused person released on bond because the prosecution has not given a compelling reason why the he should remain in custody because the offence occurred six months ago.
There was sufficient time for the police to conduct the investigation, he said, before the magistrate ordered the suspect be remanded in police custody.
The case is due in court on March 6.
The court also issued a warrant of arrest for the Muslim clerics co-accused person Muktadha, who was said to be in Lebanon.
Sick