Post details: Two OLF rebels are jailed for 52 years over arms

Two OLF rebels are jailed for 52 years over arms
By Adow Jubat
Two Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) members have been sentenced to 52 years in prison by a Moyale court.
The rebels were found guilty of being in possession of two AK-47 rifles, 139 rounds of ammunition and two hand grenades.
They were arrested on August 23 at Kate sub-location in Moyale Central division in the ongoing Kenya-Ethiopia joint military operation to contain the rebel movement.
One rebel, Nura Denga Jarso, was found with a AK47 rifle, two grenades and 113 rounds of ammunition.
He confessed before Senior Resident Magistrate, Mr James Nduna, that he was recruited into OLF in May last year, with the promise of a Sh5,000 monthly salary.
In mitigation, Jarso said he had joined the rebel group since he had no source of income to provide for his family.
But the magistrate sentenced him to 31 years for the four counts he had been charged with.
His co-accused, Kalicha Molu, was convicted of three counts: being in possession of a rifle, 26 rounds of ammunition, and being in the country illegally.
The magistrate handed him an 11-year sentence.
The suspects were convicted on their own guilty pleas.
The prosecutor, Inspector Mohammed Noor, earlier told the court that the offences threatened security, and called for severe punishment for the rebels.
But Molu and Jarso pleaded for leniency, saying they were married with children in Ethiopia and were the sole bread winners.
Delivering his judgement, the magistrate concurred with the prosecution that the offences were serious, and required a deterrent sentence.
Source: The Standard