Watamu police officer denies receiving bribes to conceal murder evidence

Amina Shiraz is accused of killing her husband Jimmy Jagatram Baburam on July 26, 2015 in Watamu, Kilifi County. A police officer has been charged with receiving bribes to conceal evidence in the case. PHOTO | CHARLES LWANGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Ms Shiraz is charged alongside an American, Mr Jacob Schmalzle who is on the run.
  • They have been charged with killing Mr Baburam at the beach resort’s swimming pool in Watamu in a suspected love triangle.

A police officer was Tuesday charged with concealing evidence in a case where a Nairobi businessman was killed while on a family vacation at a beach resort in Watamu, Kilifi County.

Sergeant Abdi Sheikh was charged before Malindi Chief Magistrate Julie Oseko. He allegedly committed the offence between July 26 and September 28, 2015.

He was charged after the court dismissed his application seeking to prevent police from charging him with the offence in relation to the killing of Jimmy Jagatram Baburam at Medina Palms Resort on July 26, 2015.

Amina Shiraz, the widow of the victim, is facing murder charges in a Mombasa court. She has denied the offence and is out on cash bail of Sh200,000.

Ms Shiraz is charged alongside American Jacob Schmalzle, who is on the run.

They have been charged with killing Mr Baburam at the resort’s swimming pool in Watamu in a suspected love triangle.

SECOND ARREST WARRANT

In April this year, the court issued a second warrant of arrest for the American after Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko charged him with conspiracy to defeat justice.

The Mombasa High Court had earlier issued an arrest warrant against the American, said to have escaped back to the United States after being tipped off that prosecutors had pressed murder charges against him.

The police officer was charged with interfering with the execution of the criminal legal process “involving the circumstance of Mr Baburam’s death at Amani Villa in Medina Palms hotel, between July 26 and September 28, 2015”.

Mr Sheikh, a former investigation officer at the Watamu Police Station, was also charged with receiving bribes of Sh25,000 and Sh20,000 to compromise investigations and conceal murder evidence.

He denied the offences and was released on a bond of Sh300,000 with a surety of the same amount or cash bail of Sh200,000.

The case will be heard on June 26.