BY SAM ALFAN.
A murder suspect who allegedly used a dead man’s mobile phone to extort money from his family in the US and friends in Kenya has been detained for 21 days to allow the police complete investigations into the matter.
Makadara court Magistrate Resident Magistrate M Thibaru allowed Kasarani sleuths to hold Stephen Bedan Karanja Njomo for three weeks.
The police are probing circumstances that led to the murder of Victor Wangai Kiragu, whose body was found at KNH mortuary after a frantic search by relatives.
“I hereby issue an order allowing police to detain Stephen Bedan Karanja Njomo for 21 days to enable police to complete investigations into the stated offence (murder),” ruled Magistrate Thibaru.
Njomo is suspected is alleged to have impersonated Kiragu and extorted money from his mother who is based in USA and friends for about three weeks.
Kiragu was reported missing by his brother and his body was later found on January 10 at KNH Mortuary labeled as unknown African male adult.
Information obtained from KNH indicated that the deceased was taken to the facility from St Francis Community Hospital Kasarani on December 1, 2022.
He was admitted at KNH for specialized medication until January 10 when he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigations into the case revealed that Njomo had been communicating with the deceased mother based in the USA, his brother and also friends while pretending to be Kiragu.
On December 10, a day after he died and as his body was growing cold at the KNH Mortuary, a notification popped up in his family WhatsApp group showing that he had just changed his account to a new number.
According to the investigating officer PC Benjamin Wangila, they have received WhatsApp chat printouts from the deceased family members and friends indicating how the suspect was personating the deceased and extorting money from them, other family members and friends.
The police say the specific chats obtained were between Njomo and Kiragu’s mother who is based in the US, his brother Samuel Chege and a friend identified as Everlyne Wakio, both based in Nairobi.
The chats show how Njomo changed Kiragu’s mobile phone number on December 10 in a family Whastapp group.
He later directly messaged his mum in the US asking for money on several occasions.
Lawyer Danstan Omari for the victim’s mother told the court that she will have to return to the country and record statement with the police.
Omari said she will need at least need ten days to get traveling documents and also provide the M-pesa transactions to assist the DCI in unraveling the murder puzzle.
He urged the court to grant police the 21 days sought to allow the police to loaded with other investigating agencies outside the country to get on top of this new type of crime.
“The officers have attached the communication between the suspect and the family where for more than 15 days after death the communication from the suspect was that send more money your son has just worked has just worked out of the toilet he is coming back when that person is already dead,” Lawyer Omari told the court.
Omari told the court it was quite a moving scenario for the deceased mother and pleaded with court to allow police application to allow them arrive at the root course of the new crime .
