BY NT CORRESPONDENT.
Attempt by Director of Public Prosecution to hear a miscellaneous application for National Transport and Safety Authority officials arraigned in court in relation to the Dusit Hotel terrorist Attack past time has failed.
This is after defence lawyers opposed the move terming it as illegal. Lawyer Danstan Omari told Nairobi Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku that prosecution arraigned the suspects past time intentionally and the proceedings can’t proceeds and the matter should be adjourned and pushed to tomorrow.
Prosecutor explained to the court that he was in court before 5:00 pm but the case will adjourned until tomorrow.
The magistrate the suspects to be held at Muthaiga station and be arraigned in court tomorrow morning for hearing of the miscellaneous application.
Six National Transport and Safety Authority officials Anthony Mjaka Kadu, Jacqueline Githinji, Cosmas Ngeso, Nderitu Irving, Stephen Kariuki Mbaka and Charles Wangocho Ndungu.
The suspects were arrested on 30th January at NTSA Hill Park Building in Nairobi due to their possible involvement in aiding and abetting the terrorist attack that took place on 15th and 16th January at Dusit Hotel Complex in Nairobi.
The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) is seeking to detain the suspects for 30 days to complete investigations.
Kadu works at the department registration and licensing at NTSA where his duties include registration documents and transfers.
It is believed that he requested one Augustine Musembi (already in custody) to reissue motor vehicle registration KCN 340E Toyota Ractis which was used by he attackers.
Jacqueline is the director for registration and licensing and sanctions all processing of the plate numbers.
Ngeso is Jacquline’s deputy and assists her to carry out her duties. Mbaka is is clerical officer at the department of registration and licensing and in charge of dispatching number plates.
Ndungu is also a clerical officer but in the department of log book transfer section.
The said Toyota Ractis was the one allegedly used by the four gunmen to get to the Hotel.
The police further state that it has been established that there is a different vehicle bearing the same registration that was found in Kitengela Town in Kajiado County.
It appears that one of these number plates is either fake or was obtained fraudulently.
The police states that they need time to visit the NTSA offices to investigate the procurement process and recover all documents related to the production of the duplicate number plates.
They also need time to consult the Kenya Revenue Authority and NTSA to ascertain the true owner of the Toyota Ractis.
In addition, the police say they need to find out the process of production of number plates by the Kenya Prisons Services generally and specifically the production of both sets of number plates.
The matter however failed to proceed since the suspects were produced in court past 5 o’clock. Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku directed that the matter to be heard on Friday 1st.