Police parade alleged gangsters arrested over Mombasa robberies
The four suspected robbers, from right, Charles Mulwa Nzomo, Patrick Shiundu, Joseph Ndicu Mbugua and Raphael Kemboi Rotich at the Mombasa Law Courts on September 22, 2014. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Four suspects who police say are members of a ruthless gang that has been robbing and terrorizing residents of Mombasa were paraded in public on Monday.
The identification parade came two days after Flying Squad officers pulled them out of a plane at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and recovered stolen cash.
The suspects, who included an Administration Police officer identified as Raphael Kemboi Rotich, were produced in a Mombasa court on Monday afternoon and police were granted four days to complete investigations against them.
The other suspects are Charles Mulwa Nzomo, Patrick Shiundu and Joseph Ndicu.
They will be remanded at Central Police Station in Mombasa.
Three of the four suspected bank robbers, from right, Patrick Shiundu, Joseph Ndicu Mbugua and Raphael Kemboi Rotich at Mombasa Law Courts on September 22, 2014. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Mombasa resident magistrate Vicky Kachuodho declined to grant the police the seven days they had requested to complete their investigations.
According to an affidavit filed by Corporal Moses Murithi, who is attached to Mombasa CID headquarters, the suspects are suspected to have committed a series of robberies in Mombasa, allegedly robbing people of money outside bank premises.
“Due to wide investigations, I need more time to enable me to interrogate the respondents, record their statements and recover exhibits if any,” Corporal Murithi told the court.
The suspects, who were not represented, told the court that the seven days police were seeking were "too many".
The magistrate directed that some of the suspects, who complained of having sustained some injuries, be taken to hospital.
Some of the cash recovered from the four suspected bank robbers was displayed at Mombasa's Central Police Station on September 22, 2014. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The case will be mentioned on Friday.
The four were identified by victims of robbery at a parade that took hours at the Central Police Station.
Led by Officer Commanding Police Station Geoffrey Mayek, the officers displayed more than Sh472,000 in cash and mobile telephones that they said were recovered from the suspects.
Victims who spoke to the Nation said they were beaten and tortured in the hands of gangsters, who robbed them of cash and other valuables at gunpoint.
