DCI make headway in solving Belgian's disappearance

Detectives from the Homicide Investigations Unit have taken over investigations into the disappearance and possible killing of Belgian national Dysseleer Mireille Lesoipa.

This comes as details emerged that her closest confidante, Ms Lucy Waithera Njuguna, allegedly forged a death certificate and claimed that she died of HIV/Aids.

Investigators have zeroed in on six people in forged documents filed in court listing them as the beneficiaries of a Sh100 million property that Ms Lesoipa owned in Nakuru.

It emerged that Ms Njuguna allegedly procured the services of Nakuru-based lawyer John Hari Gakinya to file succession documents before renting out the property located in Milimani estate to Avipro East Africa Ltd. The lawyer is also being investigated.

WHERE IS THE BODY?

Sources in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Thursday revealed that they were looking for the beneficiaries, including John Leramat Lebite, Ntalie Lenolkiok, Joseph Wanjohi and Daniel Moen.

Ms Waithera is in custody, having been arrested on February 1. She was arraigned on Wednesday but did not plead to any charge pending the conclusion of investigations.

Earlier, a police officer from the Serious Crimes Unit, Franklin Kiraithe, who filed an affidavit at the Nakuru High Court challenging the succession matter, claimed that the lawyer is in possession of Ms Lesoipa’s Toyota Prado, registration number KBP 298E.

Ms Waithera has told police that Ms Lesoipa’s body was cremated as she had allegedly wished.

But police investigations reveal that she wanted her body donated to a university for research. Investigators also established that Ms Lesoipa had in her will mentioned that she had money in three bank accounts.

FAKE STORY

The Nation has established that detectives have been camping at Ms Lesoipa’s property and had asked Avipro East Africa, which was occupying it, to leave because it was a crime scene.

A DCI officer said police were combing the home to find out whether Ms Lesoipa was killed and her body dumped or burnt in the compound.

“We suspect that she was murdered but what we are doing now is to try and establish where her body is,” the officer said.

An investigation officer had on Wednesday told a Kiambu court that Ms Waithera, who is being treated as a key suspect in the killing, had been in possession of Ms Lesoipa’s ATM cards.

The officer, Mr Oliver Nabonwe, said that since Ms Waithera was arrested, she had given contradictory statements about Ms Lesoipa’s whereabouts.

ASSOCIATES QUESTIONED

On Thursday, detectives in Nakuru were questioning people close to Ms Lesoipa and Ms Waithera.

Sources at the Homicide Investigations Unit said the officers had visited houses Ms Waithera had called home in Pipeline, Milimani, Blankets and London.

Mr Nabonwe told the court that detectives were hoping to arrest more people who frequently communicated with Ms Waithera but switched off their phones after learning about the investigations into Ms Lesoipa’s disappearance.

These people, the officer asserted, hold the key to uncovering the whereabouts of the victim.

Ms Lesoipa arrived on the Kenyan Coast in 1993 aged 35 and married Samburu dancer Emmanuel Lesoipa, who was 21.

Report by Joseph Openda, Eric Matara, Stella Cherono and Geoffrey Ondieki