BY SAM ALFAN.
A terror suspect remandee who claimed last week he was assaulted by officers at Kamiti maximum prison attempted to escape from most secure prison, court heard.
The Officer in charge of Kamiti Maximum Security Prison Henry Kisinyo has told a Nairobi court that, the two terror suspect who he described to be dangerous may be charged with attempted murder of a senior prison warder.
And while giving his explanation, Kisinyo informed the court that on August 15,2017 some four prison warders were controlling another terror suspect by the name Charles Rashid Mbereso who is suspected to be mentally sick when Salim Muhammad and another remandee attacked the officers.
He told the court that one of officers an inspector who was heading them was physically attacked by the suspects who caused injuries on him as they pull him to their cells.
Kisinyo who is also a Senior Assistant Commissioner of prison explained before Milimani chief magistrate Francis Andayi that one terror suspect Salim Muhammad alias Osama a Morocco national who is being held at the same prison for another offence of planning attack in Kenya and another terror suspect attacked a prison warder of the rang of inspector beating him up and pulling him into their cells.
The officer had been summoned to appear in court and shed light on why prison warders assaulted and tortured Salim Muhammad at Kamiti prison.
The magistrate had issued summons after Muhammad complained that he was assaulted at the prison. The suspect appeared in court while heavily bandaged on the head and his left arm.
“The matter has been reported to police and the police are investigating the matter with aim of charging the prisoners with attempting to escape from prison and attempted murder of inspector Julius Lekulal,”said the prison boss.
Kisinyo said the other officers raised an alarm upon which others officers rushed to the scene and controlled the situation.
He said ordered Muhammad to be taken to another separate room for his safety and reported the matter to Kiambu DCI for further investigation.
The court heard that Muhammad and another suspect climbed to the top roof of the Kimiti building where they took cover for some times before Kisinyo esured them that nobody was going to harm them.
“I wish to state that remand prisoners in my custody are very dangerous prisoners who even pose serious danger to the court officials and it is my strong recommendations that they must always be in handcuffs whenever they are produced in court for mention or hearings of their cases. This has clearly demonstrated by the brazen assault on a senior prison officers,” said kisinyo.
A CCTV footage was also played in court showing how the four prisoners attacked the prison warders on the material day
The officer incharge further informed the court that surprise searches conducted in their accommodation cells on diverse dates have yielded two mobile phones, improvised crude tools and memory cards with videos for radicalization and terror activities.
He also said that in recent past he has received intelligence briefs of the remand prisoners planning to escape when they are being produced in court as well as plans to cause grievous harm to our officers.
However the magistrate ordered Muhammad to be escorted to Kiambu DCI office to record his statement over the alleged assault.
Earlier Lawyer Hassan Nandwa for Muhammad had asked the court to issue summons for the facility boss saying that his client was allegedly attacked at the prison by the warders when he went to rescue a fellow inmate who was being ‘disciplined’ by the warders before they called for reinforcements who beat him senselessly.
Nandwa also informed the court that the suspects has since been held under in-humane and degrading conditions where he is forced to sleep without blankets and on a cold cemented floor.
“We fear that if this treatment continues, he may succumb to the difficult circumstances in prison,” the lawyer informed the court.
The counsel also informed the court that the suspect has also been held under in-humane and degrading conditions where he is forced to sleep without blankets and on a cold cement floor.
“We fear that if this treatment continues, he may succumb to the difficult circumstances in prison,” the lawyer informed the court.
Nandwa conversely asked the court to halt such treatment and suffering subjected to the suspect.
“The facility boss should explain why such violation of human rights should be meted on my client,” he said.
A state prosecutor said he could see bandages on the head and left arm but could not tell under what circumstances the injuries were inflicted.
