On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the grim faces of Gokmen Sandikci and Osman Elsek said more than words ever could as they were escorted out of a Mombasa magistrate’s court.

For the next 14 days, the two Turkish businessmen, longtime residents of Kenya with a combined investment portfolio exceeding Sh6 billion, will call the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) cells their home.

The state’s narrative is chilling: a specialized unit acting on “credible intelligence” suggests the duo is linked to terror financing.

But according to their high-profile legal team, led by George Khaminwa and Cliff Ombeta, the terror charges are nothing more than a “wild and malicious” fabrication designed to punish the men for standing up to a powerful politician on a dark highway.

A Highway Altercation

According to a replying affidavit from Osman Elsek, the nightmare didn’t begin with a financial audit, but with a traffic accident on Monday night, January 12.

Elsek claims he was driving his Toyota Land Cruiser near Majengo Kanami in Kilifi when a vehicle in a high-speed convoy clipped his car and sped off.

Boldly, Elsek gave chase and forced the vehicle to stop, demanding an explanation for the reckless driving.

It was only then that the situation spiraled; Elsek alleges he was assaulted by armed men from the convoy and subsequently threatened with deportation by a person he later identified as the Governor of Wajir.

“I believe the terror allegation is an afterthought,” Elsek stated in his affidavit. “It is manufactured to justify an unlawful detention after I confronted a state officer who hit my car and fled.”

While the defense paints a picture of political vendetta, the state has presented a very different case to Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo.

Investigating officer Hassan Sugal told the court that the two were arrested in Mtwapa following intelligence linking them to the financing of terror activities.

The magistrate ruled that matters of national security must be handled with the utmost seriousness. He granted the ATPU 14 days to pore over the suspects’ financial records, noting that at this stage, it is impossible to weigh the evidence until the specialized unit completes its probe.

The background of the two men adds a layer of complexity to the case: Osman Elsek: A resident of Kenya since 2008 and a registered refugee, Elsek fled Turkey after a political fallout with the previous administration.

He has since built a massive business empire in construction, real estate, and hospitality.

On the other hand, Gokmen Sandikci is an investor who has called Kenya home for eight years, Sandikci was described by his lawyers as merely a passenger in Elsek’s vehicle during the fateful Monday night incident.

Lawyers Khaminwa and Ombeta have raised pointed questions about the timing of the arrest.

“Why has it taken the government 20 years to find out he is financing terrorism?” Khaminwa asked, highlighting that Elsek has never appeared on any international terror watchlists.

Ombeta further pointed out irregularities in the police paperwork, noting that the traffic incident was recorded at Nyali Police Station; outside the jurisdiction of the accident; and curiously failed to mention the other vehicle involved, which the defense claims belonged to the Governor’s convoy.

What Lies Ahead?

As the two men settle into their fortnight of detention, the case has become a lightning rod for debates on the use of “national security” charges in personal or political disputes.

The matter is set to be mentioned again on January 27, 2026.

Until then, the ATPU will be searching for a “smoking gun” in the tycoons’ bank accounts, while their lawyers continue to argue that the only “crime” committed was demanding an apology from a powerful man on a Kenyan highway.