Police boss put in custody after turning up in court drunk

Police imposter Joshua Waiganjo in a Nakuru court on July 15, 2016. Six witnesses on July 26, 2017 failed to turn up in court to testify in an abuse-of-office case against police bosses in connection with Mr Waiganjo's exploits. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

A senior police officer who was to testify in a case involving senior police officers was thrown in court cells after he showed up drunk.

Chief Inspector Biot Miruni Wafula was unable to testify on Wednesday morning in a case involving former Rift Valley police boss John M’Mbijiwe and former Anti-Stock Theft Unit Commandant Michael Remi Ngugi.

ABUSE OF OFFICE

Mr M'Mbijiwe and Mr Ngugi are facing abuse of office charges.

Six other witnesses, including former commissioner of police Mathew Iteere, did not turn up for the hearing.

Mr Wafula was found too drunk to give his testimony, forcing Principal Magistrate Joe Omido to order he be remanded in the court cells.

The prosecution, led by Sandra Kosgei, told the court that the witness was not in his right frame of mind to give his testimony and thus she could not proceed with the hearing.

CHARGES

He was detained in the cells for two hours and released on a Sh 50,000 bond. He will be charged with appearing in court drunk.

Mr M'Mbijiwe and Mr Ngugi have denied abuse of office charges and cushioning Joshua Waiganjo, who was accused of masquerading as a senior police officer for years without being detected.

The court heard that Mr Iteere, who was supposed to appear following court summons, was not served with the orders.

The summons were issued after the suspects' lawyer, Pravin Bowry, during a previous cross-examination of former Rift Valley Provincial police boss Francis Musembi, a prosecution witness, linked the appointment of Mr Waiganjo to Mr Iteere.

Prosecutors further told the court that two other witnesses - Jacinta Wasonga and Chief Inspector Nzioka - were held up in official duties.

COURT ORDER

Another witness, Earnest Obonyo, a former Naivasha police boss, was said to be unwell.

Prosecutors accused the investigating officer in the case of frustrating efforts to bring the witnesses to court and requested the court to order him to explain why the witnesses were not present.

Ms Kosgei also applied to have the hearing adjourned so all the remaining seven witnesses could be brought to court.

Mr Bowry objected to the application, saying prosecutors were not being serious with the matter.

Mr Waiganjo's lawyer supported Mr Bowry’s submissions, arguing that his client had faced numerous difficulties in honouring the court dates without fail.