| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Horn |
| Somali president pardons jailed Westerners |
| 2011-06-27 |
| MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia has pardoned six foreigners sentenced to at least 10 years in prison each for bringing millions of dollars intended for pirate ransom into the country, a government spokesman said Sunday. Abdirahman Omar Osman said the three British nationals, an American and two Kenyans, will be free after the court completes processing their release. The country’s president granted them a pardon from their sentences, he said. The men were arrested in Mogadishu last month after their planes were found to be carrying millions of dollars in cash. Two of the defendants were sentenced to 15 years in prison and a $15,000 fine, the others were sentenced to 10 years and a $10,000 fine on June 18. Osman said $50,000 fines for each of the planes would need to be paid before they could be released. Pirates have been receiving millions of dollars in ransoms for several years now but this was the first time Westerners were sentenced for their role in paying out the ransoms. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 "Their check cleared." |
| Posted by: gromky 2011-06-27 00:56 |