TV journalist Jacque Maribe and her fiancé Joseph Irungu have been arraigned before a Nairobi court which directed that they be detained until Monday 15th when they will be charged with the murder of Monica Kimani.
Justice Jessie Lesiit directed that the two remain in custody in order to allow a mental assessment test to be carried out on Maribe before pleading to the charges.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji said he has sanctioned murder charges against the Citizen Tv anchor and Irungu alias Jowie after reviewing the evidence gathered by detectives against them.
“I have independently reviewed the evidence so far on record and found that there is sufficient evidence to warrant charges against the two. I have therefore direct that they be immediately arraigned before the High Court and charged accordingly,” said the DPP.
The two were arrested alongside their neighbor Brian Kassaine who has also been in police custody but was not produced in court.
Kassaine was been arrested after it was established that Irungu used his gun to try to commit suicide in their house at Royal Park estate, Langata after the murder of Monica.
The story later changed that Jowie was attacked and shot by three people outside Maribe’s house who had followed them on their way home.
Twenty eight year old South Sudan-based Monica was killed in her Lamuria Gardens apartment, off Dennis Pritt Road in Nairobi just hours after arriving from Juba.
Her body was found in her bath tab, water running with her hands tied behind her back, her mouth taped shut and throat cut by a “highly trained assassin” according to the police.
Justice Lessit directed that Maribe be detained at the Lang’ata Women prison while her lover at Industrial area till 15th October 2018.
Oppose detention
Maribe’s lawyer Katwa Kigen, strongly opposed the idea of taking his client for the mental test saying the state should have done so all this time she has been in custody.
“It would be unfair to have her taken for mental assessment until 15th since she has been in custody for more than ten days,” submitted Kigen.
Jowie on the other hand has already undergone the mental assessment test which indicates that he is fit to stand trial.
Jowie’s lawyers led by Cliff Ombeta, Sam Nyaberi and Laichena Mugambi, also opposed the plea being deferred saying their client is in need of urgent medical attention.
According to Ombeta, Jowie’s hand is now paralyzed, he cannot do anything with it anymore, it has gone numb, it is swollen from inside and pus is oozing from it.
Jowie is said to have shot a gunshot wound which police believe may have been self-inflicted wound to sway investigators off trail.
The judge directed that Jowie be escorted for treatment at KNH by prison authorities.
The court also directed the prosecution to have filed the application opposing the release of the couple on bail before Monday.