Officer defends decision to handcuff baron Monson's son
Hillary Martin, the mother of the late Alexander John Ruman Monson, follows proceedings into the inquest of her son's death, at a Mombasa court on October 2, 2017. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The officer told the inquest that it was procedural to handcuff a prisoner being treated in hospital.
- Mr Wachifa denied influencing the doctor’s report when he said Alexander’s condition was due to drug overdose.
A police officer on Monday defended the decision to handcuff the son of a British tycoon to his hospital bed.
Senior Sergeant Issa Said Watchifa, who was attached to Diani Police Station in 2011, said he handcuffed Alexander John Ruman Monson when doctors at Palm Beach Hotel asked officers to wait outside. Alexander later died.
HANDCUFFED
The officer told the inquest that it was procedural to handcuff a prisoner being treated in hospital.
“The handcuff does not affect treatment,” Mr Watchifa explained.
“Doctors took Alexander to a private room and asked us to wait outside. It is at that point that I handcuffed him.
"He was not handcuffed when we placed him in [the] ambulance that took him to hospital,” he added.
DRUGS
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations officer said he learnt of Alexander’s arrest from a colleague in the Tourism Unit who brought him some drugs reportedly found on the Briton.
“On May 19, 2011 around 10am, Constable Benson Lemor brought the drugs. He informed me it was Chief Inspector Charles Munyiri who handed the drugs to the DCI,” he said.
“I informed the DCIO who instructed me to identify an officer to conduct the investigation.”
AMBULANCE
Mr Watchifa told the inquest that the drugs included ketamine, four tablets of diazepam, a tablet of tadalafila and a half smoked roll of cannabis.
The witness said it was at that point that he went to the police cell to see the foreigner, only to find him breathing with difficulty.
He told the inquest that he alerted the DCIO of Alexander’s condition and instructed two report office officers to transfer him to the corridor.
He said a white couple arrived and called an ambulance from Palm Beach Hospital.
DOCTORS
Mr Wachifa denied influencing the doctor’s report when he said Alexander’s condition was due to drug overdose.
Mr OB Olaba, the lawyer representing Nicholas John Monson, questioned the rationale of giving doctors the names of the drugs.
The inquest continues with more than 10 witnesses expected to testify by Friday.
