Two tenants charged with assaulting caretaker in Pangani – VIDEO
Two men who allegedly assaulted and seriously injured the caretaker of a building where they live in Pangani, Nairobi in a row over the property were charged with causing him grievous bodily harm.
Barnabas Ochunyi Akwela and Stephen Githae Chege were charged at Makadara law courts with jointly and unlawfully injuring David Gikunju Ngatia on February 26.
Ngatia had visited the premises to assess the construction works underway at the building after hiring a contractor to renovate some houses when the two attacked him.
The contractor escaped unhurt during the incident and sped off towards Pangani police station to file a report.
Ngatia was rescued by his son after he screamed for help during the incident.
Akwela and Chege have, however, denied the charges before principal magistrate Jackie Kibosia but Ngatia told the court that the two had continued to threaten him after the incident.
The duo will remain in custody until Ngatia testifies.
Ngatia and the two suspects are embroiled in a tussle over the premises amid claims they want to grab the property that he manages on behalf of his employer who lives in Ireland.
Ngatia was on March 9 last year brought before the same court together with his son, Zakayo Ngatia, where they were charged with violently robbing Akwela.
The man and his son were accused of robbing Akwela of his two mobile phones all valued at Sh27,000 while armed with stones on February 26, 2020 in Pangani within Starehe sub-county.
But the caretaker lamented that Akwela and Chenge had assaulted and broke his arm in the incident at the same premises and later made a false robbery complaint at Pangani police station.
But Ngatia had denied the charges accusing Akwela of making false claims against him after a confrontation at the apartment.
He said Akwela was using police to harass him in a bid to take over the property and his son was in court only because he came to his rescue when he was being beaten by the two.
Ngatia told Nyaga that he had lodged several complaints against Akwela and Chege at Pangani police station before the alleged robbery but police never took any action.
He had a fractured hand and said he sustained the injury during the confrontation at the residential apartment.
Nyaga flagged a “potential injustice” and released Ngatia and his son on a free bond pending review of charges against them.
The magistrate agreed with him because the incident happened during a commotion between tenants and directed the prosecution to re-look at the charges against the two.