FOUR MEN ARRESTED FOR ROBBING PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA

A Nairobi court has detained four men accused of plotting to grab and sell land belonging to President Uhuru Kenyatta in Karen.

The four Mohamed Muhammud, James Opere, Jonah Tuuko and Samakin Lesingiran appeared before Principal Magistrate Jane Kamau.

The prosecution through state prosecutor Fredrick Kimathi, had petitioned for the suspects to be detained by the police for seven days to allow a probe into an alleged fake title they were using to claim the said land.

Kimathi said the suspects had gone to the land located along Windy Ridge in Karen, Nairobi, on January 3 and started searching for beacons to sell the parcel.

“They were arrested by officers from Karen Police Station and after interrogation, there is reasonable suspicion that they are in possession of a forged title which they are using to lure unsuspecting members of the public to buy the land,” Kimathi told the court.

The investigating officer, Lawson Shuma’s affidavit to support the application swore that the suspects are directly connected to other accomplices still at large and that their detention will enable him to recover the forged title.

“It will be appropriate to investigate the motive behind the forcible entry into the land noting that it is a property of a prominent leader who we do not wish to disclose his name due to security reasons,” swore Shuma.

Defense lawyer Danstan Omari representing Opere and Tuuko however argued that the prosecution is aware the land belongs to the president and should not hide his identity to punish the suspects.

Omari disputed allegations that the suspects invaded the land with intentions to sell it saying they were wrongfully arrested and the state did not need seven days to establish the real trespassers.

“These are small people who could not get access to the land owned by the president because it is guarded throughout. They are people who were just walking along the road next to the land and were wrongly arrested on suspicion that they were checking the beacons,” said Omari.

In her ruling, Magistrate Kamau agreed with Omari saying that detaining the suspects for seven days would be unjustified.

“They will be detained at Muthaiga police station until Friday after which they will be released on a police bond of Sh30,000 each to allow police complete investigations,” ruled Magistrate Kamau.

She however directed the four be held by the police pending investigations on the circumstances

The matter will be mentioned on January 12 for further directions.

Courtesy Citizen Digital