A gang of men appeared at the Old Bailey accused of plotting to murder a young man in connection with Chris Kaba. The plot relates to a shooting that took place on Hackney Road, Tower Hamlets, East London, on August 30, 2022, where the intended victim escaped unharmed.
Chris Kaba was fatally shot six days later, on September 5, 2022, by an armed police officer in Streatham Hill, South London.
On Friday, Shemiah Bell, Hamza Abdi, Connel Bamgboye, and Simeon Glasgow appeared via video link from Thameside and High Down prisons. They are charged with conspiring with Chris Kaba to kill Brendon Malutshi.
Marcus Pottinger, 20, from Brixton, and Carl Tagoe, 28, with no fixed address, were not required to attend the hearing but face the same charges as the others.
The men face charges including planning to murder Brendon Malutshi, conspiring to cause him physical harm, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, and inciting fear of violence on Hackney Road.
On April 21, Hamza Abdi was additionally charged with helping an offender escape the shooting scene by driving him away in a Range Rover, thereby obstructing justice while knowing the individual was guilty of attempted murder or another serious offence.
Marcus Pottinger also faces further firearms charges from December 16, 2022, after being accused of carrying a .32 Rimfire Calibre Revolver in Streatham with intent to intimidate.
Judge Simon Mayo KC confirmed a plea hearing will take place on May 2, with a preliminary trial scheduled for November 13.
Shemiah Bell, 31, of Lambeth; Hamza Abdi, 23, of Wandsworth; Connel Bamgboye, 28, of Lambeth; and Simeon Glasgow, 30, also of Lambeth, remain in custody.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) concluded its homicide investigation into Chris Kaba’s death last month. The evidence has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, who are now being urged by Kaba’s family to charge the suspended officer currently under investigation for murder.
Helen Lumuanganu, Chris Kaba’s mother, said: “Enough is enough. We demand justice and answers.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
