Talaam, five others to face murder charges over Omondi’s death after IPOA gets DPP’s nod
The Authority submitted an inquiry file yesterday, leading to the constitution of a team of senior prosecutors to study it
Six suspects accused of murder charges in the murder of teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang will take a plea tomorrow at 10:30 am at the Kibera law courts.
The six who were scheduled for the plea taking at 2 pm today but did not do so as they argued that some of them did not have counsel to represent them.
The six, who including three police officers and three civilians, will face murder charges following approval by the Office of the Director of Criminal Investigations (ODPP).
The ODPP stated that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) submitted an inquiry file yesterday, leading to the constitution of a team of senior prosecutors to study it.
“Consequently, the DPP has approved murder charges against six individuals. They include: Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Kiprotich Talaam, James Mukhwana, who held the keys to the cells on the fateful night, and Peter Kimani, who was the Cell Sentry on duty at the time. Civilians John Ngige Gitau, Gin Ammitou Abwao, and Brian Mwaniki Njue will also face the charges,” the ODPP confirmed in a statement.
Taalam, who was the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at the time of the fatal incident, and the two officers were interdicted by the National Police Service to pave way for investigations by IPOA.
Omondi died while in police custody at the Nairobi Central Police Station, where he was being held after arrest in Homa Bay earlier this month, following a complaint by the Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, who is said to have launched a complaint at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) that Ojwang and others were tarnishing his name on social media.
