Aussie estate owner linked to bomb cartel in Mombasa
Elderly father of two Australian Ornix Christoph , he is being grilled by ATPU police officers after contingent GSU and flying squad surrounded and searched his house over 7hours.photo Elkana Jacob
GSU and ATPU Police officers at Australians Ornix Christoph’s home along Shell Beach Likoni, the Australian had been trailed for long and police officers recovered a gun from the cottage, he is being grilled by ATPU over terrorism acts .photo Elkana Jacob
ANTI-terror police suspect that an Australian estate owner is part of a syndicate that deals with explosives in Mombasa. Yesterday, the police were questioning Christoph Ornik on his alleged role in the bomb trade. He was arrested yesterday at 3am following a raid on his cottages at Shelly Beach in Likoni.
The raid was conducted by a contingent of the Anti-Terror Police Unit, the Flying Squad, the General Service Unit officers and special detectives. The police had been tipped off by an informer who claimed the Australian has been driving different cars between his house, the Mombasa city centre and the South Coast.
Police further claim that other sources had said the cars have been carrying "suspicious good". During yesterday’s raid at Likoni, Ornik’s security guard, Protos Njomo, said he heard a dog barking for sometime after which his boss called him. “I informed him that the dog was barking from outside and not in our compound, but as I went to sit, the dog came to where I was and so I moved out. I then saw so many people with torches. I immediately ran and hid behind the gate,” he said.
Njomo said his boss screamed thinking the men were thieves, but they went to his door, ordered him to open it and introduced themselves as police. “He (Ornik) was worried about where I was since he thought they had found me, and when they searched and saw me from my hiding place, I knew I was dead," the guard said. "I was fished out and then I saw a lorry written 'Likoni Division', and full of policemen. That is when I was sure they were not robbers, but security men."
During the search, Ornik is said to have shot twice towards the police. “He just wanted to scare them away, but did not aim at anyone. He shot twice. I have managed to pick the cartridge,” Njomo said. The officers later confirmed that they wanted the suspect to accompany them to record a statement at the police headquarters.
But in his defence, Ornik said he had nothing to hide and added that the officers conducted a thorough search in his house and did not get anything. The Australian, who also owns a garage next to the cottages, said, “I was not sure if they were officers as they scaled the wall and came upstairs, it was dark at that time,”
According to sources, the suspect was arrested in connection to claims that had been seen in the company of other foreigners who were suspected to be armed and with the explosives. Meanwhile, a Tanzanian, who was spotted near the military barracks in Nyali has been arrested. A source claimed Bakari Musa was heading towards a mosque near the barracks.
A police source claimed Musa may have had "umterior motives". “He was handed over to the anti-terror police after his arrest and should be taken to court after concrete evidence against him is found,” said the source.