Court detains for a month officers in lawyers killing

Four police officers accused of killing lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and their taxi driver Joseph Muiruri have pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder.

The four; Senior Sergeant Fredrick Leliman, Sergeant Leonard Maina Mwangi, Corporal Stephen Chebulet and Constable Silvia Wanjiku Wanjohi, who appeared before High Court Judge Jessy Lesit at the Milimani Law Courts, were formally charged after prosecution told the court they are fit to stand trial.

The prosecution told the court that they have lined up at least 45 witnesses to testify against the four accused persons and asked for a period of one month to serve the defense with the witnesses’ statement.

An application that was objected by lawyer Cliff Ombeta representing the four. However, the court heard that the four will not be prejudiced in any matter and allow the application by the prosecution.

“Bail application of the accused persons will be considered during the mention of the case, I hereby directed that the three men be remanded at Industrial area and the lady be remanded at Langata Police station,” Justice Lesit ruled.

The matter will be mentioned on the 18th of August,2016.

The team of investigators that include those from USA’s FBI and DCI’s homicide department believe the three were killed at an open field few meters away from the Syokimau AP camp where they had been held for hours.

The officers were on Wednesday and Thursday moved from police cells to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters where they were questioned for hours over the murder of the three.

Kimani, Mwenda and Muiruri were reportedly last seen at the Mavoko Law Courts on June 23rd, 2016 for the mention of a case where the late Mwenda claimed a senior administration police officer, now linked to the murders, had shot him without provocation.

Their bodies were found four days after their disappearance wrapped in gunny bags at the banks of the Ol Donyo Sabuk River in Kilimambogo, Machakos.

Additional details by Dzuya Walter