Bail for pirates considered in Kenya

(BRUSSELS2) Six Somalis, suspected of having attacked the MV Nada on April 9 and currently detained in Kenya, could be released on bail. In any case, this is the request made by the chief magistrate of Mumbasa (Kenya), Rosemelle Mutoka, according to the Kenyan press. She has requested a report from the probation service which should be delivered by June 2. This is the first time that such a request has been made in a case of piracy. The judge considers that she has not received any convincing details from either the prosecution or the defense and that the probation service is best able to make sense of things. The request comes as EU Chief Diplomat Cathy Ashton begins a visit to the region tomorrow (read:Lady Ashton on tour in East Africa but not in Uganda)

The six Somalis are accused of having attacked the MV Nada on April 9, in the Gulf of Aden, 100 miles from Socotra, on several occasions, with AK47s and RPGs. The pirate attack had been foiled. The nearby British ship HMS Lancaster apprehended the pirates before handing them over to Kenyan authorities on April 27. A handover which took place - it should be specified - while Kenya has frozen for several months any arrival of new suspects on its territory.

(updated June 4) the probation officer asked the judge in early June for more time to locate the parents of the six pirate suspects, reports the Kenyan press.

(NVP)