BY IRENE ONYANGO.
A swimming instructor at Visa Oshwal School has been detained for seven days pending investigation into the alleged negligence that led to the death of an 11-year-old boy in a pool.
Nairobi Senior Resident Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo ordered Geoffrey Juma Opala to be detained at Parklands Police Station for one week to allow the police complete investigations into the incident.
The investigating officer, Clare Wafula told the court that Opala is believed to have neglected his official duty as a swimming pool attendant.
The court heard that a CCTV footage which captured his presence when the deceased walked towards the pool and later his body discovered having drowned.
According to Wafula, it was Opala’s duty to ensure the safety of all the authorized persons to access the school swimming pool under his guidance.
She added Opala neglected his duty by failing to prevent the boy who was captured on CCTV footage passing him while walking towards the pool.
In a miscellaneous application filed in court, despite the coach having seeing the deceased walk towards the pool, but failed to disclose to the school management and parents having seen the boy.
She said the coach also failed to assist the boy yet claims to have searched the swimming pool and recovered the body.
“Your honour, the respondent after being pressed by pressed by the family members to state where the deceased was, denied having seen him and later he alleged to have searched the pool and recovered the body in the absence of the relatives and school staff,” she stated in an affidavit.
The Police noted that despite the investigations revealing that the deceased had died as a result of drowning, they are yet to discover whether it was accidental or caused by somebody.
The court heard that the Coach is likely to interfere with some witnesses who are yet to be traced if released on bail.
Further, the police stated that the Coach’s life is likely to be in danger from the angry crowd and family members who relate to the offence he had committed.
