BY IRENE ONYANGO.
A Nairobi court has allowed detectives to detain four police officers and two civilians for five days, pending the completion of investigations into allegations of robbery.
The police officers were arrested at Kasarani police station parking over suspicion of breaking and stealing from a vehicle that had been detained at the station.
Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo allowed the application by prosecution to detain Sergeant Antony Ndegwa, Corporal Daniel Lekakeny Sunkuli, Constable Simon Macharia Maina, constable Antony Mwendwa (Ruai), Young Wakhisi and Lukas Magoiga Chacha alias Rama.
The six are suspected of breaking in and stealing from a stationery motor vehicle that had been detained at the station.
After arrest of the six, police established that Wakhisi and Chacha (the two civilians) were the main suspects involved in the theft as captured in the CCTV footage.
The four officers will be detained for four days in Kayole Police Station while the two other suspects will be detained at Ruai Police Station until Friday 14th June 2024 when their case will be mentioned
On Friday Prosecution filed a miscellaneous application seeking to detain to detain the said suspects pending investigations.
The DCI urged the court to detain them at Kayole and Ruai police station for 14 days pending investigation into allegations of stealing and handling stolen property.
The Investigating Officer IP Dominick Omondi told Milimani Magistrate Onsongo that he is seeking the detention of the suspects to enable the police to complete investigations, pursue other suspects who are at large.
The officer said the suspects are well known to them and are expected to assist in the recovery of the motor vehicle used in the commission of the offence as well as recovery of the remaining amount and also identify M-Pesa shops where money was allegedly withdrawn.
He also added that he needed to retrieve and analyze the CCTV Images by photographic, imaging and acoustics experts from the DCI headquarters for purposes of comparing and identifying the suspects.
According to IP Omondi, on the 3rd June 2024 at around l500hrs, the complainant one Victor Peter Owino an accountant at Rophine International school made a withdrawal of Sh.2,361.000 from Family Bank Utawala Branch, meant to pay salaries of casual workers.
He proceeded to school located within Mihang’o while driving motor vehicle reg. no. KCE, 5351, Toyota axio and parked outside the school compound and went inside the school with only Sh. 161,000 leaving the rest of the money in the car which he locked safely after he went back for the remaining Sh.2.2 million but found it missing from the car.
The CCTV footage at the school showed that the motor vehicle rcg. no. KCR 595D silver saloon with three occupants who were seen alighting and gaining entry into the complainant’s motor vehicle and walking away with a brown envelope believed to be containing the money.
“On 6th June ,2024 the respondents were arrested at Kasarani police station public parking by a team of DCI officers from Nairobi Region and DCI Kayole and at the time of arrest, search was conducted and recovered Sh. 64.000 from Sergeant Ndegwa, Sh.5 000 from Sunkuli, Sh 49 000 from Macharia and a total of Sh 350.000 recovered from Wakhisi which is suspected to be part of the stolen money.
