Urgent bid to disclose ‘Isis’ suspect’s whereabouts struck off by court

The Johannesburg high court has struck off an urgent application by the brother of a missing terrorism suspect allegedly kidnapped from the Mall of Africa in December to have his whereabouts disclosed. 

The court found that while Abdurahim Abadiga claimed the matter was urgent, he had failed to adequately explain why it had taken him almost three months to make the application and give good reasons why he did not “re-enrol the matter at the first available opportunity”. 

The matter relates to the disappearance of Abdella Hussein Abadiga, an alleged Islamic State recruiter and funder who was allegedly “snatched” from the Midrand shopping centre by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) special forces personnel, according to the affidavit submitted by his brother. 

Abadiga, an Ethiopian, was placed under US Treasury sanctions in March last year with Tanzanian Peter Charles Mbaga and South Africans Farhad Hoomer and Siraaj Miller. According to the US government, the men helped terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria gather support and financing for its Africa campaigns.  

The notice of motion for an urgent court application filed by his brother alleges Abadiga and his bodyguard Kadir Jemal Abotese were abducted from the parking lot at the Midrand shopping centre on December 29.

Abdurahim, who had been out of the country, reported his brother missing to the Midrand police in January.  

Police are investigating a case of kidnapping after CCTV footage was collected from Mall of Africa cameras allegedly showing several men driving vehicles with number plates registered to SANDF-linked company Peters Communications Trust leaving the parking lot at about the time of Abadiga's disappearance. 

The CCTV footage, stills of which are contained in the application, appear to show Abadiga’s car, a Toyota Lexus, being escorted out the parking lot by one of the vehicles belonging to Peters Communications at 4.55pm on December 29.  

According to the affidavit, a Midrand police investigator confirmed the vehicle registrations of the suspected vehicles belonged to Peters Communications Trust. It also states Abadiga was last seen on CCTV footage at 12.11pm while he was paying for his parking ticket. 

Abdurahim Abadiga is calling for the ministers of defence, police and international co-operation and others to disclose where his brother is being held and immediately release him or place him before court, or release his body. 

The men accused of having snatched Abadiga have denied participating in the abduction and said they do not know where he is. The other respondents did not oppose the application on the grounds Abadiga is not in their custody. 

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