Sergeant Naftali Chege, Constable John Pamba, Charles Wangombe Munyiri (a former Head of Tourist Police Unit in Diani) and Constable Ishamel Baraka Bulima were to appear before the court Wednesday due to logistical issues/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 7 – Four police officers, who are linked to the murder of the son of Alexander Monson, son of British aristocrat Nicholas Monson, failed to appear before the Mombasa High Court on Wednesday.
They are expected to appear Thursday to take plea after they asked for a one-day extension.
Sergeant Naftali Chege, Constable John Pamba, Charles Wangombe Munyiri (a former Head of Tourist Police Unit in Diani) and Constable Ishamel Baraka Bulima were to appear before the court Wednesday due to logistical issues.
Last Friday, Mombasa High Court Judge, Erick Ogolla, directed the County Investigation Officer, through the office of the regional police commander, to summon the four police officers who were implicated in the murder of the British on May 19, 2012 in Diani.
However, the four failed to appear before the court, claiming that the orders were served late and they most of them are now serving in other regions far from the coastal town of Mombasa.
One of the officers is now based in Nanyuki, the second one in Murang’a, a third one in Kisumu and the fourth is said to have retired from the police service.
They all asked for an extension of one day in order to personally appear before the court, through their lawyers who were present in court.
On June 29, an inquest by a magistrate court implicated the four officers in the murder of Alexander while in a police custody. It was reported that the police had tried to cover up the incident, claiming that the then 28-year-old had died of drug over dose.
Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo said Alexander died due to head trauma and not the drugs overdose as alleged by the officers and forwarded the ruling to the Director of Public Prosecution with recommendations to prosecute the culprits.
DPP Noordin Hajj, thereafter, directed that the officers be charged with the murder following the ruling of an inquest surrounding the death of Alexander.
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