Burial of slain ICC witness Meshack Yebei delayed as probe launched
A detective records a statement from Mrs Lilian Yebei, widow of Meshack Yebei, who was to be a defence witness in the Kenya cases at the International Criminal Court. ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda Friday said her office had identified Mr Yebei to help her investigators in Kenya but was later dropped. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA |
What you need to know:
- Relatives record statements and deny Duale claim.
- Family fights back Duale and Jubilee MP’s claim that Yebei was killed by human rights activists.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have taken over investigations into the killing of an ICC witness as his relatives dismissed claims that human rights activists were to blame for his death.
Five senior detectives from Mazingira House, the DCI headquarters, on Thursday recorded statements from relatives of the late Meshack Yebei at their home in Sugoi, Uasin Gishu.
“We shall handle the matter professionally in accordance with the laws of Kenya,” said Mr John Kariuki, the officer in charge of the Serious Crimes Unit.
Those who recorded statements included Yebei’s widow, Lillian, his mother Priscillah and his brothers Bernard and the Rev Moses Kisorio.
Yebei’s burial was scheduled for Saturday but his family has been asked to give the investigators more time to pursue the case.
“We are glad that these officers from Nairobi are here. We hope that they will conduct this matter professionally,” said the Rev Kisorio.
Yebei was abducted on December 28 last year at Turbo. His mutilated body was found a week later floating in River Yala in Nandi County, 40 kilometres away.
The Rev Kisorio described utterances made by Mr Aden Duale, the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly, as political.
Mr Duale had alleged that Yebei was killed by activists and that the ICC prosecutor should be held responsible.
“Whatever Duale was saying is political because he didn’t know the late Yebei in person,” he said.
