Six more suspects among them three police officers arrested in connection with the Sh 72 million theft have been arraigned in court where police are seeking seven days to detain them to complete investigations.
APC Chris Machogi, CPL Duncan Kaveshi Luvuga, APC Boniface Mutua, Vincent Owuor, Alex Mutuku and Francis Muriuki to be detained at Langata Police station appeared before Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku.
According to their application, the six have elected out of their wisdom not to show the police their respective residences and are unknown persons, they are at flight risk and should not be granted bail.
It is alleged that on 5th September 2019, G4S personnel who were assigned ATM restocking left their headquarter with the 72 million on transit van.
They were accompanied by three armed Administration police officer designated to escort the said cash.
However, at about 6.05 the said police officers turned out to be robbers and took all the money and bundled the G4S officers into Nairobi West Standard Chartered bank ATM room and left.
According the investigators, they need time to scrutinize CCTV footage from the Bank’s headquarter.
The court further heard that if the suspects are released at this stage, there is high likelihood that they will interference with investigations and evidence.
The police also need time to ascertain the criminal records, true identity of the three respondents and to prepare them for plea.
They are yet to receive call data records of the suspects to ascertain the relationship between the six respondents and other accessories in the crime.
Their lawyer Cliff Ombeta objected the application to detain his clients branding the investigators liars for lying to the court.
Ombeta told court that the police have the actual names of the respondents, if not they would have brought them under alias names.
He further informed the court that the investigators know the residences of tge suspects since they have been there and conducted search.
“They have searched their houses, done a lot of damage especially to the house of the sixth accused person. They tore mattresses, pillows, broke toilets and other things,” Ombeta submitted.
In addition, Ombeta said that it is not necessary for the suspects be present when police are looking at the CCTV footage because they do not work with any company that provides such services.
He further submitted that his clients do not work for mobile service providers for them to be in custody while police obtain call data records.
The court heard that the suspects have been tortured by police and have been subjected to inhumane treatment.
Ombeta requested the court to order they be takes for treatment and the results submitted in court.
The magistrate directed the suspects to be taken to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment and the medical report be tabled in court tomorrow at 10 am.
The report will aid the court in making its ruling on the application to detain them.
