Police to hold man who approved collapsed Malindi building longer

Abchun Abdi

A Malindi court has allowed the police to detain a former Malindi town administrator who approved the design and construction of the collapsed ten-storey Palm Heights Apartments.

Chief Magistrate Julie Oseko granted the police seven days to detain Dan Chome who was the Malindi town administrator for two years between 2013 and 2015.

Through Constable Joseph Mwangi, the police had tried to demand a 24-day detention but this was opposed by Chome’s lawyer who wanted him set free on bond.

He argued that Chome was an influential person and was capable of interfering with investigations.

The building collapsed two weeks ago killing one person and detectives have been under pressure to investigate the incident.

Police have so far arrested three people in connection with the ill-fated building including Shabirali Fakhruddin who was the director of Palm Developers Limited linked with the building, Dan Chome and a third person whom they said was the supervisor of the building at the time of its collapse.

Fakhruddin was released on a Ksh.500,000 personal bond by the courts last week on condition that he was not to appear near the scene, mingle with witnesses and not travel outside the Malindi Sub-County.