Police officer in Wilson Airport shooting detained for 11 days over loss of firearm

A police officer previously attached to Wilson Airport was on Tuesday detained for 11 more days pending investigations into the loss of his firearm and ammunition.

Constable Morongo Samson Nesco was alleged to have lost an AK47 rifle as well as 30 rounds 7.62mm*39 special ammunition issued to him by virtue of his employment without any lawful justification.

Constable Morongo pleaded guilty to all counts, further requesting the court to release him saying he has not been accorded a chance to explain how the said items got lost and as such would like to record a statement.

The court also heard that he has been in custody for 14 days as the prosecution needed more time to further their investigations into the death of his colleague.

The prosecution opposed his release on bail saying they were advancing their interrogations that will soon see the accused charged with murder.

Magistrate Martha Mutuku hence directed that the accused be remanded until August 19, 2019.

Constable Morongo was on August 6 arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in connection with the murder of his colleague, Constable Stephen Mukangi, at Wilson Airport.

According to the DCI, investigations had revealed that the accused allegedly shot dead Constable Mukangi and later faked it on an attack by unknown gunmen.

The incident is reported to have occurred on July 27, 2019 at Wilson Airport while the two officers were on duty.

“The suspect’s clothes were subjected to Gunshot Residue Test at the Government Chemist and it tested positive, hence placing the suspect in very close proximity to the shooting scene,” read a statement from the DCI.

According to earlier reports, Constable Morongo told police that two men masquerading as police officers approached them claiming to be in need of their assistance.

The duo, whom he claimed were in police uniform, allegedly asked them for help in attending to a vehicle which had stalled along the Southern bypass.

It was during their effort to help them, reported Constable Morongo, that two other men also dressed in police attire emerged from a nearby bush, triggering a shootout that left Constable Mukangi dead.

Constable Morongo further reported that the four attackers were terrorists and that they took away their two AK47 riffles loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition each.