Kwale — More than a week after police arrested 13 suspects linked to a brazen attack at Pinewood Beach Resort in Diani, none has been arraigned in court, raising fears of interference.
All the suspects were arrested and released on the same day on police bond to allow further investigations.
The suspects were expected in court on Monday, but did not appear, with sources at the prosecution offices saying their file was recalled to the regional offices in Mombasa.
Interestingly, local police officers privy to the incident were equally shocked that they were not arraigned, pegging the question, are they being protected and by who?
“I am equally shocked. The whole case has attracted a lot of attention and it seems too hot to handle,” a Kwale based detective said on condition of anonymity.
Of the arrested, they include senior officials of a local security firm- whose vehicle was impounded by the police, and taken to Diani police station.
“The firm is surprised to see the delay in charging the arrested accused persons for robbery with violence, causing damage to property, causing bodily harm and injuring unarmed citizens, theft of guests property, threat to life and safety,” Conrad Law Advocates LLP, the law firm representing the hotel said.
In a terror-like attack, dozens of attackers are seen forcefully gaining entry to the hotel from the main gate and at the beach side, indiscriminately attacking anyone in sight and destroying property.
Guests including young children are seen on the CCTV footage shaken, while others are running helter skelter to avoid being assaulted.
“They were chanting war slogans,” an international guest who was not immediately identified said.
The audacious assault has left the hotel owners, staff and international guests on edge, with a looming cloud of uncertainty as no one has been held accountable.
Several staff members sustained injuries, while international guests mostly from the United Kingdom lost their valuables of unknown amount.
At the time, the hotel management said it was hosting some 60 tourists from the UK.
The law firm representing the hotel on Monday called on police to promptly arraign the suspects, “including their mastermind.”
“We are concerned with the police for failing to charge the arrested persons for the above culpable crimes not forgetting the mastermind behind the attack,” asserted the law firm.
In a statement on Sunday, the hotel owner and Managing Director Alnoor Kanji accused a receiver manager for Kenya Commercial Bank for the November 17 incident.
KCB intends to take over the hotel as they did with English Point Marina, still owned by the Kanji’s over what they say is a pending debt, but have since been restrained by court.
Mombasa High Court set January 9 as the mention date for the legal suit challenging the intended takeover.
“I have never seen anything like that,” those were the words of a tourist from the United Kingdom, after he was caught up in the attack staged by armed goons at the Pinewood Beach Resort and Spa.
For several instances, armed goons have launched what the owners of the facility say is a well coordinated attack, leaving scores with injuries.
“I have never seen something like this before,” Steven Cartwright, a UK citizen who is a guest at the hotel said. “We’ve been here 8 times and at no time did we ever feel threatened.”
Cartwright was in the company of his wife Deborah when the incident, which many guests termed as “scary and horrendous” happened.
He cautioned that if the trend is not stopped, “It will kill tourism if it continues like that,”
His sentiments were shared by his wife Deborah.
She called on authorities to protect the tourism sector, a key factor in the country’s GDP.
Deborah, who is also a practicing nurse, helped in attending to injured staff, including one who had a deep cut on the head.
Police were forced to fire in the air to restore peace and order, as the goons carried on with chaos.
“Their goal was to destroy, pillage and kill,” the owner said of the November 17 incident.
“The attackers overwhelmed us from the main gate and beach. They beat our staff and robbed our guests in broad daylight.”
A similar incident had occurred in early August at the facility.
“We are grateful that no one was killed,” he said.
