Four police officers based in Ruiru were on Tuesday night arrested and charged in court with robbing a resident on the night of August 12.
The arrest brings to 12 the number of police officers charged in court for various offences as they enforce curfew orders.
Constables Thomas Agumba Okuku, Lawrence Mbau, James Munyoki Mulei and Dan Keya all of Ruiru police station were arrested following an investigation into reports that forced a man to reveal his Mpesa PIN and forcefully transferred money from his account.
“A follow up was done whereby an application was made in court for data. Upon scrutiny of the data, the officers were identified and arrested,” Kiambu County police commander Ali Nuno said.
Investigations revealed that the officers arrested a man on the night of August 12 for violating curfew orders. They took his phone and forced him to reveal his Mpesa PIN before they transferred Sh1,030 to a certain number registered under the name of Martin Ndichu Kamau.
“They then deleted the Mpesa message so that he could not send the message to 456 to reverse the transaction,” police said.
The victim narrated his ordeal on Facebook and even appealed to Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and his PS Karanja Kibicho to intervene.
The victim said he was arrested shortly after 10pm.
“After letting me go, I went back to my office, tried to call Safaricom PLC but they could not reverse the money as apparently, the money had been spent by the receiver,” he narrated.
“Taking control of my phone and demanding the PIN is a violation of my privacy, my data and confidentiality,” he said.
Detectives said they also arrested the Mpesa shop owner, Muthoni Charles Muteria, and his operator Bosco Ereng but police did not say whether they will be charged in court.
There is an increase in complaints of extortion and brutality by police enforcing the night curfew orders.
On Tuesday, six police officers attached to Manyatta police station were arraigned for killing two brothers – Benson Ndwiga 22 and Emmanuel Mutura 19 -in Embu on August 1.
Milimani court granted the detectives 14 days to detain the officers as they conclude investigations.
The officers were identified as Corporal Consolota Njeri, Corporal Benson Mbuthia, Constable Lilian Cherono, Constable Martin Wanyama, Constable Nicholas Sang, and Constable James Mwaniki who was driving the police vehicle that fateful night.
