Former Somali pirate Chief ‘Afweyne’ given 20-year sentence

A former Somali Pirate chief Mohamed Abdi Hassan, aka ‘Afweyne’ or ‘Big Mouth’, has been charged with piracy for the first time, a charge which carries a 20 year prison sentence, a reliable source told Waagacusub Media.

Afweyne is said to be behind a kidnapped vessel which a ransom was paid, according to the statement of the charges.

The leader of the Somali pirate group, Afweyne, held a January press conference to declare his retirement from terrorizing the Indian Ocean as one of the Somalia’s most notorious pirates. A year after, the court adjourned to his long-term sentence in late September or in early October, 2014.
The important evidence filed against ‘Big Mouth’ during his trial and judgment are among recorded phone calls and surveillance cameras conducted by people that met him from different record numbers.

Mr. ‘Big Mouth’ established a big business of his own from millions of dollars that he made from ransom payments and helped many teens to quit pursuing piracy as a carrier as well as founded an anti-piracy company.

Another man that was detained with him is Mohamed Adam Tiiceey, a former governor of the Somali region of Himan and Heeb, who is suspected in aiding Afweyne’s pirate organization that was not until now displayed any evidence against him, according to reliable sources.

Tiiceey, who is a Somali-born American citizen is accused of receiving a share, about 3 %, the ransom from the pirates in Galgadud and Mudug taken from the hijacked vessels crossing the East African coast.

Belgium is striving to stop commercial flight known as Central Airlines that carries Khat and other items to Adado town which is engaged by Afweyne and run by his own son, Abdulkader Afweyne.
According to Belgium law, Afweyne will serve a 10 year sentence in prison; however, Hawiye diaspora neither protested nor advocated for these two men to help, yet nobody is asking what he/she can do to help.

Reporting By Dahir Alasow from Netherlands

Via: http://waagacusub.net

Original Article