Albert Ojwang: Two Civilians Linked to Homa Bay Teacher’s Murder to Remain in Police Custody
- Two civilians who were allegedly in custody at the Central Police Station at the time of Albert Ojwang's death were presented in court on Monday, June 16
- The two who are alleged to have shared a cell with Ojwang are accused of inflicting injuries that led to his death
- They did not enter a plea as the prosecution filed an application seeking their detention for three weeks to conclude investigations
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Nairobi: Two suspects who were in custody at the time of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang’s controversial death at the Central Police Station will remain behind bars for 14 more days as investigations continue.
Source: Facebook
Names of civilians linked to Albert Ojwang's death
Ginn Ammitou and Collins Karani appeared before Kibera principal magistrate Daisy Mutai on Monday, June 16, where the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) sought to have them detained for 21 days to facilitate further investigations into their alleged involvement in Ojwang’s death.
After hearing submissions from IPOA and the defence team, magistrate Mutai ruled that the suspects would be held for two weeks instead of the 21 days requested.
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She said the court found it prudent to grant the period, considering IPOA's reasons and the security concerns for the accused if released.
IPOA, through investigating officer Justine Nyatete, argued that the suspects needed to be in custody to allow police to collect their DNA samples and forward them to the Government Chemist for analysis.
The agency also indicated that detectives plan to apprehend more officers believed to have played a role in the blogger’s death and that premature release of Ammitou and Karani could jeopardise ongoing investigations and intimidate witnesses yet to record statements.
Was Albert Ojwang killed in police cell?
Lawyer Nyatete told the court that the two suspects, who were sharing the cell with Ojwang, were arrested after being linked to inflicting severe injuries on him before he was found dead.
The lawyer further argued that since their places of residence are unknown, there was a risk they could abscond, especially in a case that has attracted widespread public interest.
However, the defence, led by lawyer Ezera Nguono, dismissed the allegations, saying his clients were innocent civilians caught up in a matter that primarily involves police misconduct.
Source: Original
He explained that both suspects had initially been booked at the police station after a court appearance at Milimani Law Courts for an unrelated case.
They had been freed but were rearrested the following day when they returned to the station to collect a vehicle that had been impounded.
Nguono maintained that the suspects are not flight risks and would fully cooperate with investigators. He also urged the court to ensure their legal team has unrestricted access to them while in custody.
In her ruling, the magistrate directed that Ammitou be detained at Muthangari Police Station and Karani at Kileleshwa Police Station.
She added that if investigations conclude earlier than anticipated, the parties may return to court for further directions.
The case will be mentioned on July 7.
Latest news about Albert Ojwang's death
- Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya shared a hint at how he might have been killed in a police cell
- His father said President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga personally called to console him
- DIG Eliud Lagat finally stepped aside to pave the way for investigations after public pressure
Was OCS Talaam involved in Ojwang's murder?
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that IPOA had told the court that the interdicted Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam was in communication with Juma Mukhwana, the police officer accused of killing Ojwang.
IPOA made the revelations when Talaam was presented in court on Monday, June 16.
Talam is also accused of allowing a technician to interfere with the CCTV cameras as part of an alleged cover-up plan.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Zipporah Weru (Freelance editor) Zipporah Weru is a professional journalist with a bias towards human interest, human rights, crimes and court reporting with over 14 years’ experience in journalism. She is currently covering civil, criminal and constitutional cases across Nairobi courts. She holds a Diploma in Journalism and Public Relations from the Technical University of Kenya. You can reach her at [email protected].
Joshua Cheloti (Editorial assistant) Joshua Cheloti is a multi-skilled journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication at Mount Kenya University. At TUKO, he's an editorial assistant. Before TUKO, he worked at Nairobi Review as an editorial writer, at Hope Media (Hope TV and Hope FM) as a correspondent in Eldoret, Hivisasa.com digital content editor and online writer, at Biblia Husema Broadcasting (BHB), Eldoret as Radio Presenter. Email: [email protected]
