Chief caught defiling girl appears in court
The incident happened in Mogogosiek location, Bomet County. PHOTO | GOOGLE MAPS
What you need to know:
- The 59-year-old administrator denied the charges when he appeared before Sotik Senior Resident Magistrate Jackson Omwange on Tuesday afternoon.
- He is alleged to have committed the said offences at a garage while in his Toyota station wagon registration KAH 514H during curfew hours.
A chief in Bomet County was yesterday arraigned in court and charged with attempting to defile a 15-year-old girl.
Mr David Langat, the Mogogosiek chief in Konoin Constituency, also faced a charge of indecently assaulting the Form One student by touching her inappropriately.
Mr Langat faces two other charges of abuse of position of trust and breach of curfew orders in the incident alleged to have been committed on May 5, 2020 at Mogogosiek trading centre.
The 59-year-old administrator denied the charges when he appeared before Sotik Senior Resident Magistrate Jackson Omwange on Tuesday afternoon.
He is alleged to have committed the said offences at a garage while in his Toyota station wagon registration KAH 514H during curfew hours.
His lawyer Kipkoech Ngetich told the court that his rights had been infringed as he had been held in custody for more than 24 hours and that the victim was illegally being detained by criminal investigation officers in Konoin.
Kericho-based advocates Vincent Bii and Fridah Jausiku, representing International Federation of Women Lawyers-Kenya (FIDA), told the court that owing to the pressure and heat the case had generated, the underage girl should be released to the custody of her mother who will produce her in court whenever she is required.
George Mureithi, the Bomet County Public Prosecutor, refuted both claims by the defence saying the chief was produced in court within the stipulated time before the plea was taken.
"The victim (girl) was not being detained in police cells as is being claimed by the defence team, but had been placed under protection as she is a child in need," stated Mr Mureithi.
Mr Mureithi further told the court that the prosecution would be demonstrating to the court that the administrator had attempted to defile the girl, abused his office and defied government directives on curfew.
Mr Omwenga directed that the girl be set free forthwith by the police, if indeed she was in custody.
The magistrate released the chief on a bond of Sh200,000 and a surety of a similar amount.
He set hearing of the case for May, 2020.
