Post date: Sep 26, 2013 10:5:29 PM
South African Interior Minister Naledi Pandor says authorities will investigate the passport issued to fugitive British citizen Samantha Lewthwaite, dubbed the "White Widow" who is wanted by Interpol.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (SEPTEMBER 26, 2013) (SABC) - South African Interior Minister Naledi Pandor said on Thursday (September 26), authorities would investigate the passport issued to British citizen Samantha Lewthwaite, dubbed the "White Widow" in the British press, wanted in Kenya.
Pandor told a news conference in Pretoria that Lewthwaite had entered South Africa in July 2008 with an illegal passport, which she last used in February 2011."The passport itself was genuine but what the person did was they used the identity of a South African Fay Webb in order to acquire a South African passport," said the minister.
She also added that Kenyans officials had not contacted South Africa in relation to Lewthwaite since the Nairobi mall attack.
"There is no association. There's no communication. We've checked with our High Commissioner following what we've seen in the media. Has there been an approach by the Kenyan government, the answer from our high commissioner is no, said Pandor adding, "and I strenuously, until I have evidence, deny any association with South Africa."
Interpol issued a wanted persons alert at Kenya's request on Thursday for Lewthwaite, without mentioning any suspected role in the Nairobi mall attack.
The international police agency's so-called "red alert" notice said Lewthwaite, 29, is wanted byKenya on charges of possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony dating back to December 2011.
Lewthwaite, also believed to use the alias 'Natalie Webb', is the widow of Germaine Lindsay, one of the Islamist bombers who carried out attacks on public transport in London in July 2005. She is thought to have left Britain several years ago.
Interpol said it had received the request from Kenyan authorities on Wednesday (September 25) and had issued a first alert to its 190 member countries immediately. The agency, based in Lyon,France, added photographs on Thursday showing Lewthwaite in a headscarf and with her hair uncovered.
British police have cited Lewthwaite as a possible suspect in Saturday's (September 21) attack on aNairobi shopping mall by Islamists from Somalia's al Shabaab movement.
South African television station ENCA said credit records showed Lewthwaite racked up debts of nearly 30,000 rand ($3,000) at two leading South African banks during her time in the country and owed nearly $1,000 to two clothing stores.
Radio reports said she worked as an IT specialist for a halal pie shop in Lenasia, a southJohannesburg suburb known for its Muslim population.
The four-day mall siege, which ended on Tuesday (September 24), killed 61 civilians, six members of the security forces, and five militants, according to officials.
Some witnesses said women were among the attackers, but al Shabaab denied on its Twitter feed using "our sisters" in its military operations.
In Washington, U.S. officials involved in the investigation said there was no hard evidence implicating Lewthwaite or any other British or U.S. nationals in participating in the attack.
Lewthwaite is wanted by Kenya in connection with a bombing plot targeting luxury hotels and restaurants that involved another Briton, east Londoner Jermaine Grant.
Grant, who police said has suspected ties to al Shabaab, was arrested in a December 2011 raid along with a female accomplice, Warda Breik, who police said was his wife.
Police said a third suspect, believed to be Lewthwaite, escaped in that raid. Grant and Warda are on trial charged with possession of explosives recovered from their apartment, and conspiracy to commit a felony, both of which they have denied.