By John Paku

MOMBASA (Sunatimes)-In Mombasa, six suspected pirates today appeared in court charged with piracy off the coast of Somalia.

The six, who are Somali nationals, refused to take a plea before Magistrate Rosemelle Mutoka after their lawyer, Jared Ogolla, said the magistrate's court did not have the powers to hear their case.

Nevertheless, the prosecutions asked the court not to release the suspects on bail. The bail hearing will now be heard on 17 May.

The six were arrested by the UK Royal Marines after they attempted to hijack a ship [on 9 April], an attempt that aborted.

This is the first time pirates are being tried in the country after Kenya refused to prosecute pirates in its courts.

Source: Sunatimes

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