Car in Arshad Sharif saga was ‘stolen’ by man’s son
(Left) The Land Cruiser in which Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif was travelling in and right, A Mercedes Benz Sprinter, similar to the one that had been reported stolen.
What you need to know:
- The man who had reported the Mercedes Benz Sprinter holding van as stolen withdrew a court case against his son.
- The son had been charged with unlawful driving after it was discovered that he had driven away the vehicle behind his father’s back.
- The National Police Service claimed the shooting of the journalist occurred after police officers mistook the “stolen” Mercedes Benz Sprinter, registration number KDJ 700F, for the Toyota Landcruiser registration number KDG 200M.
Details have emerged of a motor vehicle that had reportedly been stolen in Pangani, Nairobi, and which featured prominently in the killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in what police termed a case of mistaken identity.
This came as the man who had reported the Mercedes Benz Sprinter holding van as stolen withdrew a court case against his son.
The son had been charged with unlawful driving after it was discovered that he had driven away the vehicle behind his father’s back.
The National Police Service claimed the shooting of the journalist occurred after police officers mistook the “stolen” Mercedes Benz Sprinter, registration number KDJ 700F, for the Toyota Landcruiser registration number KDG 200M.
Yesterday, the Pakistani government dispatched a high-profile team to ascertain the facts of the incident from the Kenya Police and other authorities.
The team is led by the country’s Director/DIG Police, FIA Athar Waheed and Deputy Director-General Intelligence Bureau Omar Shahid Hamid.
It emerged that Mr Douglas Wainaina Kamau had reported at Pangani Police Station that his vehicle had been stolen on the evening of October 23. Mr Kamau is a businessman dealing with horticulture products in Naivasha.
The police report indicates that on October 21, Mr Kamau left Ganjoni, Mombasa with his son, Dancan Kamau Wainaina heading to Naivasha.
They arrived in Nairobi that evening. Since Mr Kamau wanted to repair the vehicle and attend to other issues, they decided to stay in the city for a few days.
On October 23, they went to visit family members. The son went to meet his wife Joy Gudi, who lives with his aunt, while the father went to meet his brothers and sister in Kijabe.
According to the report by investigating officer corporal Godfrey Munene, Dancan later joined his father in Kijabe and they drove back to Nairobi together, Dancan being the driver.
“While at Ngara area at around 6.30 pm, Mr Kamau sought to buy electric cables and he told his son to park the vehicle off the street and wait for him. He returned after ten minutes but could not see the son or the vehicle,” the police indicate.
Upon calling the son via mobile phone a number of times, the phone went unanswered prompting him to take a motorcycle and move around the area searching for him.
“Mr Kamau called Dancan again but the phone was not answered and he suspected that his son was carjacked and was with criminals. He reported a case of abduction/theft of motor vehicle vide police Occurrence Book no.70/23/10/2022 at 7.20 pm at Pangani Police Station,” reads the report.
Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Starehe division were dispatched to search for the missing man and the vehicle. Upon tracking Dancan’s phone, it was located in Rongai and after few minutes the location changed to Kiserian and Olepolos.
“... while in Kiserian, Dancan found several missed calls from his father. He called his father and informed him that he had gone for an event at his mother’s place in Kiserian and he was with the vehicle,” the document states. “The son later met the father at Total petrol station in Kiserian where he was arrested ... He was charged with unlawfully using vehicle.”
Meanwhile, sources in Pakistan told the Nation that military intelligence officers are considering investigating Sharif’s exit from the country, claiming that he fled mysteriously.
At the same time, Sharif’s widow Javeria Sadique has raised concerns about the team sent to Kenya by the Pakistani government, claiming that the investigation may not be transparent.
She has called for a public inquest into her husband’s killing, a suggestion that journalists and human rights groups support.
Additional reporting by Brian Wasuna
