Mogadishu court jails six policemen for killing district commissioner

A military court in Somalia’s capital has today sentenced six policemen to between two and five years after they were convicted of murder charges. The court found the men guilty of taking part in the murder of Hodan District Commissioner Abdihakim Dhagajun early this year.

Howlwadaag district police commandant Col. Shuaib Abdi Mohamed who was convicted of leading the shooting that caused the death of Dhagajuun on January 21 at Aden Adde road junction located between Howlwadaag and Warta Nabada districts was slapped with five years in jail.

The court also ruled that a fugitive police officer, Bashir Ahmed Abdi, should serve a similar jail term.
Three other officers including Jamal Isaq Ali, Dhiblawe Ibrahim Yusuf, Farah Sabriye Afrah and Kulmi Kariye Ali, all members of the Somali Police Force were sentenced to a two-year jail term according to the court.

However, the court showed leniency, ruling the shooting was accidental and directing all the convicts to pay the blood money of the victim. The car of Dhagaajun had just arrived in Mogadishu from Turkey where he had undergone treatment, and was sprayed with bullets at about 1 am on the material day.