Why Businessman Cum International Criminal Mohamed Hassan Is In Trouble

Mohamed Hassan, a Dutch national convicted of aggravated theft and extortion in the Netherlands, has been detained at Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi as the Kenyan government moves to extradite him to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.

Milimani Principal Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi has ordered that Hassan be held in custody until July 10, 2025, after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) formally requested his extradition to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The court heard that Hassan, who was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment by the Court of The Hague in September 2019 under prosecution case number 09/808575-18, had violated the terms of his conditional release and fled the Netherlands in 2020.

He was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant and an Interpol Red Notice issued in 2022.

Hassan was arrested on December 17, 2024, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after arriving from Somaliland.

He had been on bail for the past seven months pending a formal extradition request from Dutch authorities.

“I do not oppose the request by the state to extradite me to the Netherlands,” Hassan told the court.

“However, I ask the court to allow me time with my family, who are in Kenya, before I am returned to serve my sentence. I have been out on bail and have not attempted to escape.”

Principal Prosecution Counsel Magdalene Nduati opposed the request for continued bail, telling the court that Hassan is a known flight risk.

“The respondent fled Dutch jurisdiction while on probation and has avoided authorities for years. Interpol has been actively pursuing him across multiple countries,” she said.

Nduati further requested that a DCI officer and a state prosecutor accompany Hassan during the extradition process to The Hague.

According to court documents, Hassan was released on conditional probation on August 16, 2020, after serving part of his sentence.

He was required to report regularly to the Dutch Probation Service and refrain from criminal activity. However, he failed to comply and was declared to have absconded.

In June 2021, a Dutch court revoked his conditional release and ordered him to serve the remaining 320 days of his sentence. A European Arrest Warrant followed in January 2022, and the Interpol Red Notice was published in November of the same year.

The ODPP says all legal requirements for extradition have been fulfilled under the Extradition (Contiguous and Foreign Countries) Act, Cap 76 of the Laws of Kenya.

The final ruling on whether Hassan will remain in custody or continue on bail while awaiting extradition will be delivered today