Ugandan woman lied to US investigators
A Ugandan woman married to an American-born terror suspect has pleaded guilty to telling lies to investigators.
By Raymond Baguma
and Agencies
A Ugandan woman married to an American-born terror suspect has pleaded guilty to telling lies to investigators.
Proscovia Kampire Nzabanita pleaded guilty to making a false statement when questioned by a federal investigator about her husband, Zachary Chesser.
Chesser, 20, was accused of posting an online attack against the creators of the American animated TV series South Park due to the programme’s depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.
On October 20, Chesser agreed to plead guilty to the terrorist support charge as well as charges of communicating threats and soliciting crimes of violence.
He will be sentenced in January and is expected to receive a sentence of at least 20 years in prison.
As part of Chesser’s plea agreement, federal authorities agreed not to seek charges of aiding and abetting terrorism against Nzabanita, 26, who faces sentencing on January 28, 2011 for her guilty plea on Monday.
According to a news release from the US Attorney’s office for the eastern district of Virginia, Nzabanita will serve no prison time, but must leave the US within 120 days and give up her legal status.
The news release from the Attorney’s office said Nzabanita was questioned on July 21 by a Secret Service special agent outside her residence in northern Virginia.
In her plea agreement, Nzabanita admitted she lied in the interview by saying Chesser had attempted to fly to Uganda on July 10 to retrieve her birth certificate, according to the news release.
However, in reality, Chesser planned to make his way to Somalia to help the terrorist group, al-Shabaab, the news release said.
Court documents said Chesser was not allowed to leave the country on July 10, but was told by the airline that he was on the ‘no-fly list’.
Prosecutors also said Chesser, of Virginia, had exchanged e-mails with Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, whose name has been linked to an attack and an attempted attack on the US.
and Agencies
A Ugandan woman married to an American-born terror suspect has pleaded guilty to telling lies to investigators.
Proscovia Kampire Nzabanita pleaded guilty to making a false statement when questioned by a federal investigator about her husband, Zachary Chesser.
Chesser, 20, was accused of posting an online attack against the creators of the American animated TV series South Park due to the programme’s depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.
On October 20, Chesser agreed to plead guilty to the terrorist support charge as well as charges of communicating threats and soliciting crimes of violence.
He will be sentenced in January and is expected to receive a sentence of at least 20 years in prison.
As part of Chesser’s plea agreement, federal authorities agreed not to seek charges of aiding and abetting terrorism against Nzabanita, 26, who faces sentencing on January 28, 2011 for her guilty plea on Monday.
According to a news release from the US Attorney’s office for the eastern district of Virginia, Nzabanita will serve no prison time, but must leave the US within 120 days and give up her legal status.
The news release from the Attorney’s office said Nzabanita was questioned on July 21 by a Secret Service special agent outside her residence in northern Virginia.
In her plea agreement, Nzabanita admitted she lied in the interview by saying Chesser had attempted to fly to Uganda on July 10 to retrieve her birth certificate, according to the news release.
However, in reality, Chesser planned to make his way to Somalia to help the terrorist group, al-Shabaab, the news release said.
Court documents said Chesser was not allowed to leave the country on July 10, but was told by the airline that he was on the ‘no-fly list’.
Prosecutors also said Chesser, of Virginia, had exchanged e-mails with Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, whose name has been linked to an attack and an attempted attack on the US.