Azimio MCA Peter Imwatok accuses policemen of stealing his Sh280 million
Police are on the spot for reportedly stealing $2 million dollars (about Sh280 million) from a city politician during the recent anti-government protests.
A Nairobi court heard that Makongeni Member of County Assembly (MCA) Peter Imwatok lost millions to two police officers namely John Kuria and Andrew Kuria on July 21, 2023.
And it a shocking twist of events, the court heard that a city hotel employee who reportedly witnessed the theft had mysteriously died.
Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki heard from lawyer Shadrack Wambui that the police officers attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters serious Crime unit stole the cash which had been placed in a safe at the Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi.
Imwatok had reportedly gone into hiding alongside Makadara MP George Aladwa and Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto Nyangaresi when they got wind that police were tracking to arrest them over allegations of engaging in subversive activities during the recent Azimio demonstrations against the high cost of living.
Wambui told Magistrate Ondieki the cash was stolen when the two officers arrested Imwatok from his hideout at the Radisson Blu Hotel.
Wambui had applied to have the two officers appear in court to present items they took from Imwatok when they arrested him on July 21, 2023.
Ondieki ordered the two officers to appear before him with all the items recovered from Imwatok.
However, the two officers did not turn up but instead sent a colleague namely Gilbert Okemwa with two phones but minus the cash.
The court compelled Okemwa to take the stand to explain the whereabouts of the two officers and the money in question.
Okemwa told the magistrate he was not given any money by the policemen who arrested Imwatok.
“I confirm the only thing in the inventory is the phones and nothing else. The money was not handed to me by the two arresting officers,” Okemwa told Ondieki.
However, the officer did not disclose the whereabouts of his two colleagues and why they failed to honour the court summons by appearing in court yesterday.
Wambui urged the magistrate to put his foot on the ground and compel the two Kurias to return the money they allegedly took from Imwatok.
The lawyer also claimed police have developed a notorious tendency of stealing and robbing suspects of their precious items and money.
“This habit must be stopped by this honourable court. Order the two officers to return Imwatok’s money or face prosecution,” Wambui submitted
Interesting the politicians were arrested despite a reported court order.
The three were granted anticipatory bail of sh 100,000 pending investigation and subsequent prosecution.
Even with the order of the High Court in force, the police arrested Imwatok and charged him with subversion alongside Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch.
Others arrested and charged in court in connection with the demonstrations are Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili, alias Babu Owino, and Calvin Okoth, alias Gaucho.
The magistrate directed Imwatok to seek redress for the theft of millions at the High Court.
Earlier, lawyer Sam Nyaberi who represented three other city employees arrested during the demonstrations period disclosed to Magistrate Ben Mark Enhubi that police also robbed his client of Sh 5.6 Millon during his arrest.
Nyaberi told the court that MCA Redson Otieno Onyango(Ngei) lost Sh 1.8 million and Wilfred Oluoch Odalo(Mabatini) Sh 3.2 Millon while Eric Otieno who is an employee of Nairobi County lost Sh 580,000 to the police when arrested at a Nairobi eatery with Kilimani area.
In the wake of the protests, the government withdrew bodyguards attached to a majority of the Azimio politicians.
The court cases come at a time the Inspector General of Police Martha Koome accused unnamed people of hiring bodies from morgues and parading them as those that had been killed by the disciplined forces during the demonstrations.
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