The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is on the spot over the mysterious death of a Dutch national who was under the government’s witness protection program in Mombasa.
Batebi Esato, 51, who was a key witness in a sexual violence case she filed against her husband, was found dead in a rental house within Utange area on Wednesday.
The woman had filled the matter against her estranged husband at Mtwapa police station in 2015. Her death has been blamed on the sloppy way DCI detectives handled her case.
An officer privy to the case accused senior police officers of abandoning the woman despite placing her under the witness protection program.
“She was staying in a dilapidated house and could have died from depression or was murdered,” the officer, who asked not to be named, said.
The witness protection program largely focuses on people who would have witnessed heinous crimes and are threatened in the event they speak out.
“It is very unfortunate that she was abandoned by the same detectives expected to protect and ensure that she gets justice,” the officer added.
Senior DCI detectives attached at Mtwapa police station are lined up for questioning following the incident.
However, Kisauni police boss Sangura Musee said the woman complained of sickness before she was found dead in the room.
Musee said they will question the woman’s “boyfriend” Alex Changawa, 32, who is being treated as a prime suspect. The two were reportedly staying together.
He is expected to record a statement at Bamburi police station on Thursday to assist in the investigation.
