Prisons bosses in trouble over release of robbery suspects
The Nairobi Remand Prison, Industrial Area. Lang’ata women and Industrial Area prisons bosses have been summoned before a Bomet court to explain how two robbery with violence suspects were released from custody despite having been denied bond. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- On March, 22, 2019 the prosecution made an application against the accused being released on bond.
- Mr Barasa told the court that the two had no known fixed residence and releasing them on bond would give them an opportunity to abscond.
Lang’ata and Industrial Area prisons bosses have been summoned to appear before a Bomet court to explain how two robbery with violence suspects were released from custody despite having been denied bond.
Senior Principal Magistrate Pamela Akinyi on Tuesday directed that the two officers appear before the court on June 4, 2019, to shed light on the matter.
SENIOR OFFICERS
Public Prosecutor Mark Barasa, however, asked for more time to have the two senior prisons officers brought before the court.
The court granted the application and directed that the officers appear in court in two weeks’ time.
Lawrence Kibanya Mwangi and Elizabeth Waithera were released under mysterious circumstances despite having robbery with violence cases pending before various courts in Rift Valley and Central Kenya counties.
They are also wanted in various police stations over a number of criminal activities.
In one of the cases pending before a Bomet Court, they are accused of robbing Ms Susan Kwamboka Momanyi of Sh188,000 on January 30, 2019 in Bomet township while using a silver Toyota Allion registration number KBX 841Z. They however denied the charges.
BOND
“I am informed that Mwangi who was held at Industrial area GK Prison and Waithera who was in Lang’ata Women's Prison, were released by the in charge of the two prisons respectively,” Mr Barasa said in court last week.
On March, 22, 2019 the prosecution made an application against the accused, who were also wanted at Witima Police Station in Nyeri County, being released on bond.
They were accused of stealing motor vehicle number plate KBX 841C and fixed it on another vehicle which they used to commit robberies in Bomet County.
After appearing in court in Bomet, the duo was supposed to be arraigned in a Nyeri court over the theft of the number plate stolen at Gathenge village.
Mr Barasa told the court that the two had no known fixed residence and releasing them on bond would give them an opportunity to abscond.
