MACHAKOS,Kenya, June 7 – Edwin Oscar Okimaru, the police officer accused of torturing and murdering Joshua Mungai, a matatu conductor in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County will remain in police custody.
Appearing before Machakos High Court Judge George Odunga, the accused had sought to be released on bail.
The prosecution who filed an affidavit, however pleaded with the court not to grant him bail or bond since the suspect, a police officer would likely interfere with investigations.
The suspect’s counsel, Lydia Abuya and Emmanuel Mwangi however protested the application saying the prosecution had not presented evidence on how the accused would interfere with investigations.
They further argued that the prosecution lacked compelling evidence.
Justice Odunga granted the prosecution more days to detain the suspect ruling the matter would be heard on June, 10,2021.
Meanwhile the suspect’s defense pleaded with the judge to have Okimaru detained at the Muthaiga police station as opposed to the Kajiado G.K prison.
Odunga granted them the transfer request.
Okimaru was arrested by homicide detectives, being the main suspect in the brutal torture and subsequent murder of one Joshua Mungai, on May 14,2020.
DCI Homicide branch, Cybercrime and Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, forensically placed him at the scene of the murder.
The mater was transferred to the DCI headquarters along Kiambu road after the family of the deceased decried a lack of efficiency by police at the Ongata Rongai Police Station, where the case had been reported.
“In our findings that involved investigative interviewing of eye witnesses, forensic autopsy analysis by Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor and combing of the scene, the detectives indeed concluded that the suspect was at the scene of the murder, in the fateful night.” DCI stated.
On April 18th last month at around 10pm, the deceased alongside two others only identified as Njenga and George, were arrested for violating curfew orders by the suspects.
The three were assaulted before being bundled into the trunk of a private car.
The vehicle was then driven to Tuala bridge area, where the victims were dumped. Miraculously, George who had been tied up using a rope managed to free himself, before rescuing to safety the deceased and Njenga who had been badly assaulted.
George then managed to hail a boda boda rider who was riding past and together, they helped the deceased who couldn’t walk, on to the motorbike.
However, they couldn’t assist the deceased to hospital, for fear of coming across the two suspects who had beaten them senseless.
George and Njenga limped off to different directions, leaving the deceased close to Nazarene University, unaware of the dangers posed by hyenas and other carnivores, that scavenge in the nearby Nairobi National Park at night.
Luckily the following morning, a good samaritan assisted the deceased to Ongata Rongai health center, where he received first aid before being transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital, in critical condition.
Unfortunately, two days later Joshua passed away while undergoing treatment.
Forensic analysis later conducted, indeed concurred with eye witnesses accounts that the deceased died as a result of chest injuries due to blunt trauma.
The deceased also suffered broken ribs and bones, indicating that he had been tortured prior to his death.
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