A 58-year-old electronics equipment hawker, whose close relatives reside in Britain, was on Thursday charged with lying to the police that his motor vehicle had been robbed at gunpoint by several gangsters.
Kishan Sachama admitted that he had lied to the police in order to hide the fact that he had been chased from a rubbish dump at a city hotel where he had been sleeping. He pleaded with a magistrate at the Milimani Law Courts “not to involve his daughter and two sisters, who live in the United Kingdom.”
“I beg for compassion. I lied to the police to hide the fact that I was sleeping in a rubbish pit and was kicked out by the security guards,” Sachama told Chief Magistrate Dolphina Alego in fluent English.
Sachama pleaded guilty to giving false information to Constable Elizabeth Wambui on Wednesday at Parklands Police Station. The prosecuting counsel told the court that the accused had lied to Constable Wambui, claiming he had been attacked by armed robbers who had stolen his vehicle.
Following this claim, Ms Wambui entered the information into the OB and circulated the alert to all police stations.
The court heard that Sachama was asked to take police officers to the hotel where he had claimed to have been parking the vehicle and staying. The police wanted to obtain CCTV footage from the hotel to help track the vehicle.
“When the police and the accused visited the hotel to investigate the matter, the detectives were shocked to learn that Sachama had been kicked out of the hotel for sleeping in the rubbish pit,” the court heard.
When asked by the magistrate what he did for a living, Sachama said he sold electronic items in Westlands, Parklands and Highridge.
“I hawk various electronic items, such as light bulbs. I take orders from clients, then buy and supply the items,” said Sachama.
He said that he had run out of funds and was kicked out of the city hotel where he had been staying. He then decided to lie to the police to cover up his shame.
“Do you have any relatives in Kenya? Where are your parents?” Ms Alego asked, adding, “I want to call for a pre-sentencing report before a verdict is imposed.”
Sachama said: “My parents died many years ago. I have a daughter who lives in the UK. I also have two sisters who live in the UK. But please do not involve them. It would embarrass them. Let me handle it. Please forgive me.”
In a brief ruling, the magistrate ordered that a pre-bail report be availed on Monday before sentencing.
However, Sachama pleaded with the court not to send him to prison, as he is frail. Lawyer Oliver Tangara offered to defend the accused pro bono. He asked the court to grant the convict bail.
“I will pay for his hotel accommodation from today (December 11) until Sunday (December 14), then bring him back on Monday ( December 15),” the lawyer said.
The court released the defendant on a personal bond of Sh50,000 pending the pre-sentencing report on Monday.
