Dennis Gachoki was get-away driver of Mirema shooter, police say
A man arrested in connection to the killing of suspected fraudster Samuel Mugoh Mugota was the driver of the getaway car used by the gunman, a police investigator told court Tuesday.
The court heard that the man, Dennis Karani Gachoki, drove the killer to and from the scene in Mirema Drive, Kasarani, Nairobi using a private car that speedily drove off after the shooting incident.
“We urge court to take judicial notice of the video clip circulating online where the gunman is seen running towards a waiting car. The Respondent (Gachoki) is the person who was behind the car,” said Corporal Kapario Lekakeny.
The clip shows the car trailing the victim. It shows a lone gunman firing six bullets at close range towards Mugotah, who was driving a Honda CRV vehicle, before running to a waiting saloon car on an adjacent road.
The investigator made the disclosure while urging court to allow police to detain Mr Gachoki for 14 days so that detectives can complete the investigations in the murder incident that occurred last week.
The application was granted since Mr Gachoki did not object granting of the custodial orders.
When asked by the court to respond, he said: “I am ready for investigations to be done”.
The officer attached to the Directorate of Criminal investigations (DCI) said Mr Gachoki is suspected to have orchestrated Mugotah’s murder together with other people.
He added that both Mr Gachoki and Mugotah were allegedly well known to each other and that they operated an elaborate stupefying syndicate within the republic.
“The murder of Mugotah is suspected to be attributed to a deal gone sour. Mr Gachoki with others not before court are believed to have premeditated the execution of Mugotah, who was their accomplice in the stupefying and fraudulent scheme,” Mr Lekakeny told the court.
The officer said that the investigators are still analysing the numerous phone numbers used by Mr Gachoki to ascertain whether he is linked with the murder.
Mr Gachoki surrendered to the DCI headquarters on Monday after the authorities issued a statement saying he was a wanted man over the shooting incident.