Police detain politician’s son over threat to kill claims
A Nairobi court has granted police permission to detain a son of a former assistant minister for four days.
Zaddock Syongo and a co-accused namely Alivin Nzomo Muthami are battling accusations of allegedly threatening to killing a city businessman over undisclosed reasons.
While issuing the request, Milimani Senior Principal magistrate Bernard Ochoi said the request to detain the duo was made by cyber-crime investigators.
“I will only allow police to detain the two suspects for four days to investigate the allegation of threat to eliminate the complainant who is a city businessman Chetan Babu alias CJ,” Ochoi ruled.
Police had asked court for permission to detain the suspects for 15 days.
The court was told Chetan allegedly gave the two suspects Ksh 50 million.
The prosecution had prayed the court the duo, including Syongo – the son of former trade assistant minister Zadock Syongo) be detained for 15 days to allow for detailed investigations.
“I urge this court to detain the at Parklands police station to enable police conclude investigations into the matter, ” said prosecutor James Gachoka.
Gachoka told the magistrate the two suspects are a flight risk.
“Owing to the gravity of the charges facing the suspects herein and the fact they pose a flight risk, releasing them at this stage will jeopardize the ongoing investigations. Allow police to detain them for 15 days,” Gachoka urged
Gachoka told the court that ongoing investigations involve recovery of apparatus used to commit the offence including the Sh50 million and the Airtel numbers which the suspects used to send the threating messages.
The court heard other key suspects are on the run and the police are pursuing them.
A defence lawyer Moses Chelengat vehemently opposed the detention of the two for 15 days saying that the ‘actual flight risk is Chetan and the two suspects’.
Chelang’a informed the court that he accompanied the police to the home of Syongo where he witnessed the police recover the alleged cellphones and a laptop which are examined by the DCI Cybercrime Unit.
He added that the father of one of his clients is a well known senior citizen who has served this nation as the former MP for Suba, former Trade assistant minister and respected Ambassador and will undertake to produce his son to police whenever required.
Syongoh and Muthami will remain in police custody until Friday June 9,2023.
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