Akasha son enjoined in British tycoon's death case

Lawyer Cliff Ombeta (left) with Baktash Akasha Abdalla at the Mombasa Law Courts on November 13, 2014. Mr Baktash Akasha has been enjoined in the inquest into the death of British tycoon Harry Veevers. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT |

What you need to know:

  • Mr Baktash Akasha was adversely mentioned at the inquest before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti.
  • Mr Baktash Akasha was accused of warning the tycoon’s eldest son, Mr Richard John, to stop looking into his father’s death.

Mr Baktash Akasha, a son of drug baron Akasha Abdalla who was killed in Amsterdam in 2000, has been enjoined in the inquest into the death of British tycoon Harry Veevers, who died under mysterious circumstances in Mombasa four years ago.

This was after Mr Akasha was adversely mentioned at the inquest before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti. He was accused of warning the tycoon’s eldest son, Mr Richard John, to stop looking into his father’s death.

Mr Veevers died on February 14, 2013 in his Nyali home. His remains were exhumed on January 31, 2014 at the request of his two sons.

At the time of his death, he was living with his second wife, Ms Azra Parvenu Din and their two daughters; Alexandra and Helen Veevers. He had moved to Kenya with his second family from the United Kingdom after divorcing his first wife Marvis Florence in 1991.

His two sons with his first wife, Richard and Philip Veevers, have claimed that their step-mother and her daughters poisoned their father.

On Wednesday, through his lawyer Cliff Ombeta, Mr Akasha applied to be enjoined in the inquest to get an opportunity to cross-examine Mr Richard Veevers over the claims he made about his involvement in the matter.

“My client was adversely mentioned  in the inquest and I would like to find more about these claims. This seems to be a blackmail against my client,” Mr Ombeta told the court.

SEEKING COURT'S SYMPATHY

He accused Mr Veevers of trying to seek the court’s sympathy by dragging Mr Akasha’s name. The lawyer termed the claims an attempt to influence court proceedings and strengthen the inquest.

On Monday, Mr Veevers told the court that last October, Mr Akasha threatened him with a gun, telling him to stop pursuing the cause of his father’s death.
Mr Veevers claimed that Mr Akasha had introduced himself as his half-sister Alexandra’s boyfriend.

And on Wednesday, the lawyer representing the tycoon’s sons, Mr Kinyua Kamundi, asked the court to allow British police to assist their Kenyan counterparts with the inquiry into the tycoon’s death.

He said there was evidence in the UK that they wish to produce in collaboration with the Kenyan police.

He said there was a need to involve Interpol officers so that they can collect full clinical records of Mr Veevers from the UK. Mr Kinyua added that they wished to produce CCTV footage during the next inquest.

But senior assistant Director of Public Prosecution Alexander Muteti opposed the applications, saying if there are video clips or documents to be produced, they must pass through the investigating officer and crime scene experts before they are scrutinised by the DPP.

He said it was not necessary to involve Interpol as Kenya has enough security personnel.