Key suspect in tycoon’s murder fails in bid to get freedom

What you need to know:

  • Kiambu Senior Principal Magistrate Stella Atambo said the detectives investigating the matter had given compelling reasons for holding Mr Peter Njoroge Karanja longer.

  • The detectives told the court that the matter was complex and that they needed to subject the gadgets recovered from Karanja to forensic investigations.

The key suspect in the murder of Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen Wednesday suffered a blow after a Kiambu court rejected his application to be released on bond or bail and ordered that he be detained at Kiambu Police Station for 14 days.

GADGETS

Kiambu Senior Principal Magistrate Stella Atambo said the detectives investigating the matter had given compelling reasons for holding Mr Peter Njoroge Karanja longer.

“The application for detention is allowed to the effect that the respondent be detained at the Kiambu Police Station for a period of 14 days for investigations to be completed. Respondent to be offered

proper medication while in custody,” she added.

In their application to continue detaining the suspect on Monday, the detectives told the court that the matter was complex and that they needed to subject the gadgets recovered from Karanja to forensic investigations. They added that they needed to visit other counties to question people known to the suspect.

The defence lawyer Festus Mbati objected to the decision by the Director of Criminal Investigations to transfer Mr Karanja from Kiambu Police Station to Muthaiga Police Station, expressing concern about his safety.

“The respondent is not comfortable being detained at Muthaiga Police Station for reasons we cannot reveal now and we request that he be detained at the Kiambu Police Station where he has been since he was arrested,” Mr Mbati appealed to the court, His requested was accepted.

Then case will be mentioned on October, 3 when the 14 days elapse.

COMPELLING

“Articles 23, a 24 and 49 of the Constitution guide this court in such matters, and it is clear that compelling reasons have been demonstrated by the prosecution to warrant the orders of determination sought,” the magistrate said.

“It is in the interest of justice that in any case, proper investigations are carried out and the right person charged and it is this court belief that this is what the prosecution and the respondent are keen on. It is sad that a person lost his life,” said the magistrate in his ruling

Mr Cohen is said to have mysteriously disappeared between July 19 and 20. His body was found last Friday in a tank at his Kitusuru home in Nairobi.

His widow Sarah Wairimu is in police custody.