“Your honor, we have found no evidence to link the four officers to the alleged attempted robbery, therefore we are applying to have them acquitted and the file closed “ An inquiry file will be opened at the police headquarters in Jogoo house where the matter will be dealt with administratively by their seniors- Investigating officer, Corporal Joseph Omeru
By Collins Wanzallah
Four police officers linked to an attempted robbery at a city forex bureau were last week released unconditionally. The four officers Sergeant Daniel Wambua Mthini who is in charge of the armoury at Kasarani police station, corporal Eliud Kipkurui Bor, police constable Stanley Gitonga and Sergeant Nicholas Murira attached to Mugutha police station in Juja sub-county appeared before Milimani Chief Magistrate Bernard Ochoi last week.
Three of the officers except Sergeant Murira had been arrested last Monday and spent the night at Central police station while Sergeant Murira presented himself in court the following day, on Tuesday. The investigating officer, Corporal Joseph Omeru had made an application to have the four officers held for seven days before charging them as police complete with their investigations. Ochoi ordered the officers to be held at Central police station for two days when they reappeared again in court for the determination of the application as the investigating officer was ordered to appear in court and state whether he was through with his investigations. On Friday last week, Mr Omeru told the court that police had found no evidence to link the four with the alleged attempt at robbing the forex bureau therefore they were closing their investigation file.
“Your honor, we have found no evidence to link the four officers to the alleged attempted robbery, therefore we are applying to have them acquitted and the file closed, “said Omeru. He added that an inquiry file will be opened at the police headquarters in Jogoo house where the matter will be dealt with administratively by their seniors. Ochoi accepted the application and ordered that their cell phones which had been impounded be returned to the officers within 14 days. The four produced in court letters of interdiction which they claimed had come from the national police service.
The officers had been arrested by their colleagues from Nairobi area regional headquarters following a call made to the control room at the Nairobi area police headquarters. The call stated that one Hassan Abdi Omar of Afro limited and operating a forex bureau at Lonrho house had withdrawn some cash from Absa bank Queensway house branch and in the company of Mohammed Hassan had been confronted by robbers. The cash alleged to have been withdrawn amounted to Ksh. 2 million. And while along standard Street about 20 meters from their Forex bureau they were confronted by four men who claimed to be police officers and informed them that they were after Hassan. Hassan was carrying the bag containing the money and they said that police were pursuing him for an offence which they did not disclose. During the commotion, Omar snatched the black bag containing money from Mohamed and threw it to the security guard who was outside the forex bureau.
Omeru report added that at the time, Omar raised the alarm which attracted the nearby security guards and Administration police officers who were guarding the nearby Forex Bureau. On arrival of the AP officers, the four suspects identified themselves which led to their counterparts withdrawing. In the statement that Omar and Hassan gave to the police, they claimed that the officers arrested them and began asking for ransom which they were given Ks.h50 000.
