Busia police station OCS, his deputy and two others accused of defrauding a German national of Ksh2.6 million have been detained for 14 days pending investigations.
Justice William Musyoka of Busia High Court allowed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) request to continue holding the four, Chief Inspector Wairia (OCS), Inspector of Police Kibelio (Deputy OCS), Corporal Douglas Rono (in-charge of petty crimes) and Paul Wanjala (businessman) in police custody for two weeks to allow investigating officers complete investigations into the fraud allegations.
Musyoka ordered that the four be held at Kakamega police station pending completion of investigations.
The court made the directive after the DPP through Principal Prosecution Counsel Shirley Chepkonga sought to have the three officers and the trader held in police custody to allow the police to conclude the probe into allegations of defrauding a German national Ksh2.6 million.
Busia court
The matter had initially been presented before the Busia Chief Magistrate but it was later moved to the High Court for directions after the trial court recused itself citing a conflict of interest saying that three of the suspects were officers of the court.
Justice Musyoka issued the custodial orders after allowing the DPP’s request to have the application heard in another jurisdiction following the recusal of the magistrate’s court.
The Busia officer commanding station, his deputy, the petty crimes officer and the businessman were arraigned in court following their arrest on Tuesday evening for purportedly stealing the money from the foreign businessman who was said to be working at a non-profit organisation.
The prosecutor told the court that preliminary investigations revealed that the four suspects after the theft intended to convert the money from Kenyan shillings to Ugandan shillings to hide their tracks.
Acting on an intelligence report, police immediately swung into action where they arrested the four at a local hotel’s parking lot in Busia County.
Police say that the four were found inside a blue Subaru.
“The occupants, however, resisted arrest, forcing the officer to call for backup to aid in subduing the four men,” the court heard.
DCI detectives say upon searching the vehicle, the four men had stashed Ksh500,000 in cash.
The vehicle was towed to the station, and the recovered money was promptly documented.
Authorities conducting the investigation revealed that the funds were linked to a community-based organisation named Women for Women.
