COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Bond was set at $350,000 for Abdullah Ahmed and Abdiqani Aden Monday morning in Franklin County Municipal Court. The two men are charged with Intimidation of a Crime Victim.
Police say the pair approached the victim Sunday morning at her home while she was getting ready for church. According to a sworn affidavit from a police detective, “They wanted to discuss her testimony in the pending trial of Mustafa Ahmed. They offered her ‘anything she wanted’ for not testifying at court.”
Mustafa Ahmed was set to go to trial Monday morning on multiple counts of rape, kidnapping and robbery.
The police affidavit says that when the victim stated that she was the only victims set to testify in Mustafa Ahmed’s trial, Abdullah Ahmed “told her the other women would not show up to court and they had ‘disappeared’. When she asked what they meant, Mr. Ahmed said, ‘You know what we mean’.”
The two men then alleged followed the victim’s church bus. “Mr. Aden got on the bus at one of the stops and asked for the church address. Both men and 2 other women came to the church and tried to gain access to (the victim).”
Mustafa Ahmed’s case was settled without going to trial. Defense attorney Lew Dye says the prosecutor offered a plea bargain. “We did a deal for 10 years which I though, given the evidence, was a good result.”
Asked whether witnesses had been intimidated, Mr. Dye replied, “I have no idea. I know Mr. Mustafa was in jail so he didn’t have anything to do with it.”
A call to Asst. Franklin County Prosecutor Jennifer Rausch asking for comment was not returned.