A South African laboratory is on the spot for requesting Ksh1.2 million in order to release a pathologist’s report showing the cause of death of former Juja Member of Parliament (MP) George Thuo.
The revelations emerged on Thursday before the High Court during the hearing of the case against six suspects charged with the murder of the late MP.
This is after Justice Roselyn Korir questioned the prosecution on why the report is taking too long to be availed in the court.
In response, investigating officer Chief Inspector Maxwell Otieno claimed that he travelled to South Africa but was unable to obtain the report from the unnamed laboratory.
“Your honour, l was unable to get the report from the laboratory since they were demanding Ksh1.2 million in order to release the said sample results,” Otieno said.
The report is crucial in the matter as it is expected to reveal what really caused the death of MP Thuo.
The court was informed that following the death of the late MP, some samples from his body were extracted and sent to South Africa for analysis.
The defence lawyers supported the decision to have the report from South Africa tabled in court as evidence in the case.
On Wednesday the investigating officer, during his testimony, told the court that Thuo was poisoned through drinks at Porkies bar in Thika town nine years ago
Otieno told Justice Korir that they took bottles of Tusker beer and the clothes which the deceased was wearing to the Government Chemistry where the result revealed that Thuo was poisoned.
He said that Peter Ndegwa, who conducted a postmortem on Thuo, informed him that the deceased was poisoned and that he died due to excessive bleeding.
The officer told the court that he interviewed all the accused persons in the case and found out that, from their own statements, there was a possibility that they took part in the alleged poison.
He said that Thuo was served with three bottles of beer at the bar according to their investigations.
The six accused persons who have been charged with the murder of the former legislator are club owner Paul Boiyo, alias Sheki, Thuo’s aide Christopher Andika, alias Lumba; DJs Andrew Wainaina, Samuel Ngugi, alias Visi, waiter Esther Mulinge and patron Ruth Irungu, alias Atlanta.
