Abductions: Four DCI officers in custody
What you need to know:
- Four detectives from the disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU) spent the night in custody over their suspected involvement in the disappearance of two Indians and their Kenyan driver.
- The chief inspector, sergeant and two corporals have been picked out by investigators after forensic evidence placed them at the location in Nairobi the two foreigners were kidnapped and in central Kenya where human remains and items that are yet to be identified were found.
- A white Subaru Forester belonging to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) may have been used in the abduction.
Four detectives from the disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU) spent the night in custody over their suspected involvement in the disappearance of two Indians and their Kenyan driver. The Indians were part of President William Ruto’s campaign team.
The chief inspector, sergeant and two corporals have been picked out by investigators after forensic evidence placed them at the location in Nairobi the two foreigners were kidnapped and in central Kenya where human remains and items that are yet to be identified were found on Thursday.
Mr Zulfiqar Khan, Mr Mohamed Zaid and Mr Nicodemus Mwania are believed to have been kidnapped near a hotel on Mombasa Road on July 23.
The two Indians were last seen at a nightclub in Westlands, Nairobi, and were to fly home two days before their disappearance, according to Mr Dennis Itumbi who was part of the Kenya Kwanza campaign team.
“Two days before they disappeared, I learnt that they had lost their phones during a night out. I wanted to laugh, so I went to a place we used to meet and even there, they had not been seen,” Mr Itumbi said in a series of social media posts on Friday and yesterday.
DCI vehicle used
According to the investigations being carried out by the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) on the orders of President Ruto, a white Subaru Forester belonging to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) may have been used in the abduction.
The vehicle, which was captured by a security camera on Mombasa Road on the night the three disappeared, was also seen on Upper Hill and Thika Superhighway.
Though it has not been confirmed, if the skeletons and clothes found in Aberdare forest on Thursday evening belong to the men, investigators believe the three were driven around Upper Hill before being taken to the Aberdares the same night.
The sergeant was the driver assigned to the vehicle suspected to have been used in the abduction. He was arrested on Friday afternoon. He was then asked to provide the names of the other officers he was with on July 23.
Upon questioning, it was established that he was with the chief inspector and the two corporals. The chief inspector was in charge of the squad.
The three were immediately placed under arrest and detained at Kilimani and Kileleshwa police stations. Investigators want to know if the four policemen were involved in the disappearances of the three people whose whereabouts remain unknown.
And while the four police officers have denied taking part in the disappearance of Mr Khan, Mr Zaid and Mr Mwania, detectives believe they have circumstantial and forensic evidence that places them at the scene of the crime.
Lawlessness in the service
Detectives are also following up on allegations that police officers made suspicious deposits and expenditures after the three men vanished. The money is believed to have been taken from the victims.
The arrests come just three days after a warning to police officers from President Ruto on Mashujaa Day.
The government is under pressure from India following the disappearance of Mr Khan and Mr Zaid.
The President said he would ensure those who took part in the disappearance of the three men face the full force of the law.
On Friday night, Acting Police Inspector-General Noor Gabbow, reiterated President Ruto’s resolve, saying the National Police Service would no longer tolerate lawlessness among its rank and file.
“Our singular and foremost noble purpose is to protect lives and not to take them away unless under extreme circumstances and in strict accordance with the law,” he said.
“Whereas a majority of our officers are law-abiding and offer exemplary service, few operate outside the constitutional and legal framework, hence tarnishing our image.”
What remains to be seen is whether investigators will find enough evidence to charge the four and if there is anything to suggest that the officers were carrying out orders from their superiors.
If that happens, then more police officers, including senior figures in the chain of command, could be sucked into the saga.
