As the police continue with investigations to the death of businesswoman Monica Kimani, it has emerged that TV journalist Jacque Marine was in the company of Governor Sonko the night Monica died.
Maribe and her fiance Joseph Irungu alias Jowie, the primary suspect in the murder are being charged with the murder of Monica who was killed in her apartment in Kilimani, Kilimani.
In an affidavit by Josiah Murigu, the Chairperson of ‘Empowering Africa Through Media’, a non governmental organization in Kenya, he alleges that the DCI is yet to summon and record statements from the people Maribe was with on the night of the alleged murder including the governor at an entertainment joint in Nairobi.
It is the organization’s view that the accused persons have an absolute right to bail under the constitution and if not granted, their constitutional right would have been gravely infringed.
“This being a highly publicized matter as it involves a celebrity journalist, we feel that the prosecution’s move to oppose bail/bond is an old fashioned strategy to keep the DPP and the DCI in the headlines to the end of playing to the media and public frenzy,” claims the NGO.
Incompetence
As a non governmental organization, Murigu says that they are cognizant of the investigations that have been conducted and are still being conducted that have seriously displayed laxity, ignorance and incompetence from both the DCI and the Director of Public Investigations (DPP).
“Since the Prosecution cites a complicated investigation as the reason for the delay, then why have they not dispensed the simple tasks like summoning and recording statements from the willing persons that were in the company of Maribe on the night of the murder? This would mean that if the obvious cannot be done, its clear that the complicated will not be done,” says Murigu.
The organization further says that the DCI is yet to recover CCTV footage from the two entertainment joints where the journalist was on the night of the murder, which implifies the display of luxity and the extent of laxity from the investigators.
“The DCI has exhibited desperation in their quest for incriminating evidence and have been more less running around like headless chicken to the extent of planting spies at Gigiri Police Station where she had been held for close to two weeks,” adds Murigu.
‘Leaked DNA results’
The chairman also alleges that he is aware of the undeniable fact that the sources and senior officials close to the DCI offices have been adversely mentioned by mainstream media to be providing information that is not even available to the defense team touching on the sensitive evidence adduced from DNA samples long before they were collected from the accused persons.
According to the NGO, it is not the first time the prosecution has used ‘socialite’ methods to drag matters considered as high profile in similar courts of competent jurisdiction on evidence that cannot be weighed on the proverbial scale of justice.
The organization has instructed Private Investigators, the FBI and Scotland Yard to provide conclusive and private investigations on the matter.
“In the interest of justice, we must uphold due process as entrenched in the constitution of Kenya 2010 and ensure that justice is served to both the deceased and her family,” says the organization.
Maribe, through lawyer Katwa Kigen and Bowie through lawyer Cliff Ombeta are requesting the court to release them on bond pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Their bail application will be heard on Wednesday 24th before Justice James Wakiaga.
