In 2011, Kenya Anti-Terror Police unknowingly arrested a man who would later turn out to be one of the world's most dangerous terrorists.
Jermaine Grant was apprehended alongside other terror suspects Fuad Abubakar and Warda Breik his wife.
“We did not know him. In fact, we arrested him just because he was with Fuad Abubakar. We thought he was just some local from Old Town who was enjoying a motorbike ride with Fuad,” Martin Otieno, Head of the Anti-Terrorist Police Unit in Mombasa told The Standard.
The foreigner even introduced himself as a Canadian named Peter Joseph but after cross-referencing with British Counter Terrorism Police, his cover was blown.
The revelation prompted Britain to send five New Scotland Yard detectives to assist Kenya in the investigations.
The detectives sent were Inspector Lisa Narman, Sergeant John Reiley, Constable Steve Ball, explosive expert Lonar Philly and fingerprints expert Orelette Hunt.
A raid into Grant's home uncovered an array of materials used to make bombs that authorities believed were planned to be used to blow up parts of Mombasa.
Grant, Fuad, Warda and another Kenyan by the name Frank Ngala were then charged with being in possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Fuad, however, escaped into Somalia soon after he was released a Ksh20 million bond.
Grant was convicted on April 24, 2019 after an eight-year court case by Chief Magistrate Joyce Gandani but his accomplices Warda and Ngala were acquitted.
Grant will be sentenced on May 9 as Deputy DPP Jacob Ondari plots to appeal the decision to acquit Warda and Ngala.
