Abductions: Police bosses ordered to court
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Two top police bosses have been ordered to appear in the High Court to explain the whereabouts of three people allegedly abducted from Mlolongo, Machakos county.
Justice Chacha Mwita issued the order following proceedings during which video clips were played showing how the young men were abducted by unknown people.
Mwita ruled that Inspector General of National Police Douglas Kanja and Directorate of Criminal Investigations Director Mohamed Amin should appear in person before him by 9.30am today.
The judge rejected the duo’s pleas to be exempted from coming to court, adding that he would not accept any representatives of the bosses to appear on their behalf.
The judge agreed with the petitioners’ lawyers that the two should be held responsible for any arrest, death or disappearance. Videos related to recent abductions were presented in court earlier in the day.
One of the clips featured President William Ruto declaring: “Tutasimamisha hizo abductions”, with another showing veteran journalist Macharia Gaitho being abducted by unknown individuals at the Karen police station.
Unknown men
The journalist is seen being shoved into a white Toyota Probox by people in civilian clothes as police watched.
Also played in court was a clip of blogger Peter Muteti, who was allegedly abducted on December 21 at a shop in Uthiru, Nairobi, by unknown men whose faces were concealed.
The petitioners in the case, led by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), said the video clips were meant to demonstrate how the arrests were made and how people were being treated.
Meanwhile, in another hearing on a court case pertaining the abductions of several persons, a judge was told that two of the petitioners, including Steven Kavingo, were still missing.
Only Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, Billy Mwangi, Gideon Kibet and Rony Kiplagat had been released, the court heard. No information was available regarding the whereabouts of the two missing persons, LSK president Faith Odhiambo told Justice Bahati Mwamuye.
“The duty bearers have failed to produce the two in court and the only way is that they must be held accountable because they have access to public resources and they cannot argue that they don’t know where they are,” Odhiambo said.