Trader hands himself in over lawyer’s death
Photo/WILLIAM OERI/NATION
Mr Joseph Macharia (right), with his lawyer Collins Oyomba, arrives at Nairobi Provincial Police Headquarters on September 29,2011.
A businessman is to be charged with last week’s killing of a lawyer after he presented himself to the police on Thursday.
Businessman Joseph Macharia was going to be served with court papers by lawyer Antony Nahashon Ngunjiri when the lawyer was shot dead.
Two police officers, Mr Mohammed Ismail Madey and Mr Abdi Elmoge Abdi, were on Monday charged with the murder of Mr Ngunjiri alongside Mr David Kihara Muchiri.
Initially, Nairobi police chief Antony Kibuchi said his officers had mistaken the lawyer for a gangster.
Been beaten up
The killing took place last Wednesday at Nairobi’s Thome Estate on property owned by Mr Macharia.
The matter went to court several days later after reports indicated that Mr Ngunjiri had been beaten before the police officers arrived at the scene.
Mr Macharia’s lawyer, Mr Collins Oyomba, accompanied him to CID headquarters where he was interrogated by Nairobi deputy chief Julius Ruteere.
The businessman was also accompanied by his wife, Jane and another lawyer, Mr Moses Gitau.
“The police indicated that my client is the prime suspect. We escorted him here after I learnt from a colleague that police were looking for him. Indications are that he will be charged with murder tomorrow (Friday),” said Mr Oyomba.
Those who have been taken to court appeared before Justice Nicholas Ombija but were not asked to plead because investigations were incomplete.
They were told they were just being informed of the charges facing them. The three were remanded at Kilimani police station for one week and are due back in court on October 3.
Mr Macharia was being held at the city CID offices by the time of going to press. There were plans to transfer him to a different location later.
Mr Ngunjiri was the lead lawyer for President Kibaki in the 1997 presidential election petition against retired president Daniel Moi.
At the time he was killed, Mr Ngunjiri was serving a court order on behalf of Kairu Enterprises, which is owned by the family of former Kieni MP Munene Kairu.
