obama's brother denied entry to UK - accused of sexual assault

From the News of the World:

Obama brother accused of UK sex assault
Samson denied British visa after incident with teen girl in Berkshire
Obama's half brother was REFUSED a visa to enter the UK after being accused of an attempted sex attack on a young girl in Berkshire

Dang, and Bill and Jimmy thought they had it bad with Roger and Billy. Obama has yet another brother making headlines. Apparently he was denied entry into the UK, in January, because of a previous arrest in Britain for sexual assault including a minor. He had been living there illegally at the time of the incident.

"The hi-tech database revealed that Samson -who manages a mobile phone shop just outside Nairobi-was the same man arrested by British police after he approached a group of young girls, including a 13 year-old, and allegedly tried to sexually assault one of them.

He then followed them into a cafe where he became aggressive and was asked to leave by the owner. That's when police were called and Samson was arrested.

He supplied officers with his mother's address in Bracknell but gave them a false ID, claiming to be Henry Aloo, a genuine asylum seeker.

Mum Kezia, 67, has lived in Bracknell for six years. She married the US president's father Barack Obama Snr in Kenya when she was a teenager. Following Samson's arrest he was fingerprinted but not charged, then left the country.

snip

The White House was informed and a Home Office source told the News of the World: "This was obviously an extremely sensitive issue when it was flashed up by the database."

As reported by the Mirror:

"He denied the assault and police did not prosecute him, but he accepted a police caution for a public order offence. At the time of his arrest Abo was living illegally at his mother Kezia’s house in Bracknell, Berks, but after the incident returned to his native Kenya.

And last week he had a visa application to return to Britain rejected. Home Office staff ruled that allowing him into Britain was “not conducive to the public good”.

snip

The news will be embarrassing to the US President, who gave half-brother Abo a personal tour of the White House in January when he attended the historic inauguration. Abo, 41, and Barack, 47, are both sons of Barack Snr, a former goatherder from Kenya.

snip

Abo and Barack first met in 1987 when Barack traced his family in Kenya. Ever since, they have become extremely close, meeting several times and speaking regularly on the phone. Abo’s mother, Kezia, is Barack’s stepmum and takes pride of place at family gatherings following the death of Barack’s mother Ann in 1995."

Yikes, that must have been a potential PR nightmare for the White House to learn that Obama's brother was denied entry into UK, on his way to the inauguration. And then to have Samson (Abo) catch a flight to the US, and attend the inauguration and tour the White House. I can't believe they managed to keep that one quiet.

Mpelembe Network did a story on Samson (AKA Abo) back in January about his intention of traveling to the US for the inauguration.

"President elect Barack Obama's half-brother Samson Obama is one of several close family members from Kenya headed to the U.S for the presidential inauguration. Barack Obama's 87-year-old grandmother, Sarah Obama and other relatives including his half sister Auma Obama are also expected to leave by the weekend."

"The last time was 2006 when [Brack Obama] came here to Kenya he was on an official visit that's when I saw him here in Nairobi and he even came home to Kogelo that was the last time we saw each other," Obama said. "When I get there first of all I will check in to my hotel then I will see how the arrangements are. Then when the big day reaches we will go as a family," Obama added.

The New Vision - Uganda's Leading Vision has this family foto:


Standing L-R: Abo Obama, Abongo Obama (first born), Barack Obama, and Bernard Obama. Seated L-R: Keziah Obama and daughter, Dr. Auma Obama

In case your wondering who exactly he is, here is a family tree, that shows Obama's somewhat complex family.

Barack Obama wrote about Abo in his book Dreams From My Father, as reported by Chicago Sun Times:

When Barack Obama first met him during a visit to Kenya in 1987, his half-brother Abo Obama was visibly disappointed that the portable tape recorder his Chicago relative brought him as a gift wasn't a Sony.

"I nodded at him, trying not to get angry," Barack Obama wrote in Dreams From My Father.

The future presidential hopeful wrote that he noticed something in his half-brother's eyes -- "something that reminded me of young men back in Chicago. An element of guardedness, perhaps, and calculation. The look of someone who realizes early in life that he has been wronged."

Well, obviously Obama has no control over the actions of his rather large extended family, living so far away, but it is surprising that Samson (Abo) was allowed to come to the inauguration and tour the White House after the situation in the UK.

(Maybe this is why Obama goofed up his swearing in...?)

BBC also covered this, writing:
A UK Border Agency spokesman said in general, Britain would oppose the entry of individuals where their presence was "not conducive to the public good".

It just occured to me...maybe this explains the crappy gift Obama gave to Brown. haha