Kitengela DCI officer arrested for stealing from crime scene

Detectives at the Kitengela Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are holding one of their colleagues who was found in possession of items stolen from a crime scene in Athi River, Machakos County.

According to Kitengela Police Station, Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) Athi River had requested assistance to process a death incident.

The Kitengela Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) is said to have assigned the matter to a Police Constable.

After processing the crime scene, the complainant reported that his personal belongings were missing.

"Later the complainant, Mr Lawrence Akinola a Nigerian male adult who had accommodated the deceased in his house, namely Cheche Omung'ala, reported that his laptop and mobile phone all valued at 70,000/-were stolen from his house during the processing of the scene by the said officer. This prompted the said investigating officer to make a follow-up," read part of the police report.

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The said detective was questioned and was found with the laptop suspected to have been stolen during the crime scene investigation in his office.

On further questioning, the suspect led the officers to the iPhone, which he had already sold in Kitengela town to an unsuspecting buyer at a throwaway price.

The laptop and iPhone were recovered and preserved as evidence, an inventory was taken and both the laptop and iPhone were positively identified by the complainant.

The CSI officer was arrested and remanded, apparently intoxicated, pending formal charges.

He is one of the new officers posted to Kitengela in July after all the previous Crime Scene Investigators were transferred in what was seen as a major purge of the department.