United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UNODC Regional Office in East Africa (ROEA)

UNODC simulated trial supports prosecution of maritime crimes.

Nairobi (Kenya) 12-16 June 2023 – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Maritime Crime Programme (UNODC GMCP) held its second simulated trial in Kenya at Kahawa Law Court with stakeholders from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The simulated trial was based on a case package of exercise-generated evidence developed by INTERPOL during a KCGS boarding scenario in Mombasa as part of the US-led regional maritime law enforcement exercise, CUTLASS EXPRESS 2023.

The focus was on drug and arms trafficking at sea and various challenges state prosecutors must overcome to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.  Munyolo Omusebe, a Principal Prosecution Counsel at ODPP Kenya, leading the defence team, observed: “This has been a great opportunity to understand my role in enforcing international peace and security by prosecuting the entire spectrum of transnational maritime crimes, which have an enormous economic and human cost.”

This exercise gave participants insight into the potential pitfalls they can encounter when prosecuting maritime and other transnational organised crimes. “We have been able to share knowledge to solve inter-agency problems, as well as establish mutually agreeable cooperative strategies. Maritime crimes are complex because they span jurisdictions, but also because of the advancement in the skills and strategies being employed by criminals, which makes it necessary to have a very coherent and coordinated approach to prosecuting these crimes. This has been a very successful engagement, and I am especially honoured as a woman. This was a great mentorship session for me and many other women seeking to solidify our careers in a male-dominated field”, stated Omusebe.

As Coast Guard personnel took the witness stand, many of them commended the thoroughness of the cross-examination process.  “Despite my 14 years in the service and being fully briefed by the prosecution team prior to the trial, I found myself intimidated and struggling to respond to some of the questions asked by the defence team as they exposed the gaps in our operation,” noted officer Alex Juma, an investigation officer from KCGS.

Juma observed that adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on-boarding and searching a vessel, interrogation of suspects, evidence collection and seizure, and other operational procedures can have severe implications on the testimonies and evidence presented in court. As the law enforcement agency responsible for apprehending criminals in Kenya’s internal and territorial waters, it is paramount that KCGS has relevant knowledge and capacity to ensure evidence gathered from crime scenes is admissible in court. Failure to do so presents insurmountable challenges to the prosecution team in their quest to indict criminals. “The unavailability of essential tools in the service, i.e., crime scene kits, documenting cameras etc, continues to pose challenges to our professionalism when conducting operations and credibility in court as the manner in which searches are conducted, evidence is seized, and documented, is challenged in court,’ stated Juma with regards to the challenges they continue to face in their quest to fulfil their duties.

The simulated trial proved to be an instrumental platform to assess the effectiveness of the national legal framework that aims to address maritime crimes and be an efficient tool for lawyers to improve both their technical and advocacy skills in a niche area. 

For more information, please contact:

Mr. David O’Connell (David.OConnell@un.org)

Western Indian Ocean Programme Coordinator

Global Maritime Crime Programme

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Click here to visit the UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme website.

UNODC inaunga mkono mashtaka ya uhalifu wa baharini kupitia kesi ya kuiga.

Ofisi ya Umoja wa Mataifa ya Mpango wa Uhalifu wa Baharini wa Umoja wa Mataifa na Uhalifu (UNODC GMCP) ilifanya kesi ya pili ya uigaji nchini Kenya katika Mahakama ya Sheria ya Kahawa na wadau kutoka Ofisi ya Mkurugenzi wa Mashtaka (ODPP) , Huduma ya Walinzi wa Pwani ya Kenya (KCGS) na Kurugenzi ya Uchunguzi wa Jinai (DCI). Kesi iliyoiga ilitokana na kifurushi cha ushahidi uliotolewa na INTERPOL kama sehemu ya zoezi la utekelezaji wa sheria za baharini ya KCGS mjini Mombasa linaloongozwa na Marekani, CUTLASS EXPRESS 2023.

Lengo lilikuwa katika ulanguzi wa dawa za kulevya na silaha baharini na changamoto mbalimbali ambazo waendesha mashtaka wa serikali wanapaswa kuzingatia ili kuthibitisha kesi yao bila shaka yoyote. Munyolo Omusebe, Wakili Mkuu wa Mashtaka katika ODPP Kenya, akiongoza timu ya utetezi, alisema: "Hii imekuwa fursa nzuri ya kuelewa jukumu langu katika kutekeleza amani na usalama wa kimataifa kwa kushtaki wigo mzima wa uhalifu wa kimataifa wa baharini, ambao una gharama kubwa sana kwa binadamu na uchumi.”

Zoezi hili liliwapa washiriki ufahamu juu ya changamoto ambazo wanaweza kukutana nazo wakati wa kushtaki uhalifu wa baharini na uhalifu mwingine wa kimataifa. "Tumeweza kutunikiana ujuzi wa jinsi ya kutatua matatizo ya wakala, na pia kuanzisha mikakati ya ushirikiano inayokubalika. Uhalifu wa baharini ni tata kwa sababu unaenea katika maeneo ya mamlaka, lakini pia kwa sababu ya maendeleo katika ujuzi na mikakati inayotumiwa na wahalifu, ambayo inafanya kuwa muhimu kuwa na mbinu thabiti na iliyoratibiwa ya kushtaki uhalifu huu. Hili limekuwa funzo lenye mafanikio makubwa, na ninafurahia kushiriki hasa kama mwanamke. Hiki kilikuwa kipindi kizuri cha ushauri kwangu na wanawake wengine wengi tukitaka kuimarisha taaluma yetu katika nyanja inayotawaliwa na wanaume,” alisema Omusebe.

Askari wa Walinzi wa Pwani walipotoa ushahidi, wengi wao walipongeza ukamilifu wa mchakato wa kuhojiwa. "Licha ya miaka 14 ya utumishi na kuelezwa kikamilifu na timu ya mashtaka kabla ya kesi, nilijikuta nikingangana sana kujibu baadhi ya maswali yaliyoulizwa na timu ya utetezi kwani yalifichua mapungufu katika operesheni yetu," alibainisha afisa Alex Juma, afisa uchunguzi kutoka KCGS.

Juma aliona kwamba ufuasi wa Taratibu za Kawaida za Uendeshaji (SOPs) ndani na upekuzi kwenye chombo, kuhoji washukiwa, ukusanyaji wa ushahidi na ukamataji, na taratibu nyingine za uendeshaji unaweza kuwa na madhara makubwa kwa ushahidi na ushahidi unaotolewa mahakamani. Kama chombo cha kutekeleza sheria kinachohusika na kukamata wahalifu katika maji ya ndani na ya eneo la Kenya, ni muhimu kwamba KCGS ina ujuzi na uwezo wa kuhakikisha kwamba ushahidi unaokusanywa kutoka kwa matukio ya uhalifu unakubalika mahakamani. Kukosa kufanya hivyo kunaleta changamoto kubwa kwa timu ya waendesha mashtaka katika harakati zao za kuwafungulia mashtaka wahalifu. “Kukosekana kwa zana muhimu katika huduma, yaani, vifaa vya matukio ya uhalifu, kamera za kumbukumbu n.k, kunaendelea kuleta changamoto kwa weledi wetu tunapoendesha operesheni na uaminifu mahakamani kwa jinsi upekuzi unavyofanyika, ushahidi unavyokamatwa na kurekodiwa; inapingwa mahakamani,” alisema Juma kuhusiana na changamoto wanazoendelea kukabiliana nazo katika kutekeleza majukumu yao.

Kesi iliyoiga imeonekana kuwa jukwaa muhimu la kutathmini ufanisi wa mfumo wa kisheria wa kitaifa ambao unalenga kushughulikia uhalifu wa baharini na kuwa zana bora kwa mawakili kuboresha ujuzi wao wa kiufundi na utetezi katika eneo maalumu.

Kwa habari zaidi, tafadhali wasiliana na:

Bw. David O’Connell (David.OConnell@un.org)

Mratibu wa Mpango wa Bahari ya Hindi Magharibi

Mpango wa Uhalifu wa Baharini Ulimwenguni

Ofisi ya Umoja wa Mataifa ya Dawa za Kulevya na Uhalifu

Bofya hapa ili kutembelea tovuti ya UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme