Monday, June 27, 2011

After Somali president’s pardon, jailed foreigners depart from Mogadishu

the president of Somali interim federal government, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, pardoned six foreign nationals who were sentenced to long prison terms for bringing millions of dollars into the country and piracy related crimes.

Benadir regional court judge, Ilmi Hashi Nur said the freed foreigners flew out of Mogadishu international airport.

The judge also stated that two planes they used carrying money to Somalia were fined 50,000 $ each which means (100,000 $).

The pardoned foreigners, who brought 3.6 million dollars into Mogadishu airport with two planes, were from United States, United Kingdom and neighboring Kenya, according to Nur. He said the 3.6 million dollars was confiscated by the government.

“They were Andrew Robert, 56, from UK, Patrick Birmingham, 41, from US, Alexander James Andrew, 22 from UK, Mathew Brown, 32, from UK, Marcos William, 25, from Kenya and Altair Macleod Davidson, 46, from Kenya” Nur added.

On June 18, Somalia’s Benadir regional court sentenced American and British Kenya nationals to prison terms between 10 to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of smuggling millions of dollars into war-torn Mogadishu by two small planes for delivery to the Somali pirates.

Last month, Somali police intercepted the foreigners at the Mogadishu airport as soon as a plane carrying the currency landed at the airport.

Source: www.allheadlinenews.com

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