NAIROBI, KENYA: Inadequate legal framework, resources and congested correctional facilities have been major setbacks in the fight against terrorism, the Director of Public Prosecution ( DPP) Keriako Tobiko has said.
Director of Prosecution (DPP) Keriako Tobiko
Mr Tobiko, however, explained that following the establishment of the Anti-Piracy Unit, a total of 164 suspects had been intercepted off the coast of Somalia and prosecuted.
COUNTER PIRACY
The DPP said despite the challenges faced by the country in the fight against piracy, it had executed memorandums of understanding with other states involved in counter piracy operations, while the Anti-Piracy Unit had led to the arrest and prosecution of suspected pirates.
On the challenges, Tobiko added that language was a challenge when prosecuting suspected pirates as they spoke Somali while the witnesses spoke English, French or Italian.
The other issues raised were un-conducive court premises, witnesses’ unwillingness to attend court and testify and technological challenges such as lack of facilities for video conferencing.
Tobiko added that the economic impact of piracy was alarming as it was estimated that over $30 billion was paid in ransoms to pirates between April 2005 and December 2012 due to their activities off the coast of the neighbouring country.
“These figures are an indicator of the threat posed by piracy the world over and can be attributed to the escalation of the cost of living within the region,” said the DPP.
He noted that piracy incidents had led to the increase in insurance premiums paid by shipping companies, which had seen the cost passed on to consumers of goods that are shipped to the region.
MARITIME CRIMES
The DPP made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf by one of his deputies, Kioko Kamula, during the first regional meeting of prosecutors dealing with piracy and other maritime crimes in Nairobi.
He called for concerted regional and international efforts in combating piracy, as it was an international crime that transcended national boundaries and affected all the people.
“Cooperation is critical in ensuring the availability of witnesses, interpreters and Information Communication Technology infrastructure as well as repatriation, resettlement and continuous monitoring of released suspects,” he said.
