Police close lawyer’s death probe file
What you need to know:
- “Already, it has been known the cause of death is drowning. We investigate when we don’t know the cause of the death,” Kisauni OCPD Walter Abondo says.
- His widow, Elizabeth Ochola said she read mischief in is death.
Police in Mombasa on Sunday announced they had closed investigations into the death of lawyer Geoffrey Oriaro.
Kisauni OCPD Walter Abondo said the cause of the death had been confirmed by the pathologist and therefore they could no longer continue investigating the matter.
“Already, it has been known the cause of death is drowning. We investigate when we don’t know the cause of the death,” said Mr Abondo.
He added: “The only thing remaining is for the witness files to follow the right procedure. We go as per experts reports. He drowned — we can’t go beyond that.”
The 39-year-old Nairobi-based lawyer, who was buried on Saturday in Konya Village in Ugenya constituency, was found dead in a swimming pool at Beach Seafront Chalet Hotel in Mombasa three weeks ago.
FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS
Mourners at his burial called on police to expedite investigations to end speculation about his death.
His widow, Mrs Elizabeth Ochola, said she read mischief in his death.
Mr Oriaro was among lawyers who had attended a conference at Leisure Lodge Hotel in Diani, Kwale.
Even though a preliminary autopsy report by a government pathologist showed the immediate cause of death was drowning, the lawyer’s family dismissed it, insisting Mr Oriaro was a good swimmer.
The pathologist, Dr Mandaliya Kishorchandra Narsinh, is still conducting further investigations, the deceased’s brother Edwin said.
“It is absurd because my brother was a good swimmer. Anyway, let us wait for the chemical analysis which will be out in two weeks’ time. I can’t say much,” he said.
A human rights lobby and the Law Society of Kenya have demanded further investigations into the death.
“The lawyer handled sensitive cases arising from land and the ouster of Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials, please Mr Abondo probe further, leave no stone unturned,” said Mr Julius Ogogoh, the executive director of the Commission for Human Rights and Justice.
FILED PETITION
He said the death had left many unanswered questions and the government must unravel the mystery.
The lawyer’s widow and a pool attendant are among people the investigators interrogated in Mombasa.
Mr Oriaro hit the national headlines this year when he filed a petition in Parliament seeking to remove top EACC officials.
MPs later asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to form a tribunal to look into the possibility of removing chairman Mumo Matemu and commissioners Irene Keino and Jane Onsongo, all of whom eventually resigned.
Lawyers who spoke to the Nation on Sunday but did not wish to be named claim Mr Oriaro was used by powerful people to file the petition against EACC bosses and another one in court against the National Social Security Fund board.
LSK secretary Apollo Mboya called on police to investigate cases of attacks against lawyers.
