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Bernice Mbugua @BerniceMuhindi

The lead investigator in the case of an alleged fake letter which claimed a plot to assassinate Deputy President William Ruto yesterday said he did not ask La Mada Hotel whether a meeting took place to plot an assassination.

Isaac Ruto, who was being cross-examined by lawyers representing former State House Digital Communications Director Dennis Itumbi, told the court that he did not see the need to check with the hotel whether a meeting took place “because the letter was fake”.

The letter had claimed that four Cabinet Secretaries had met at La Mada Hotel to plot the assassination of the Deputy President.

“I cannot say for a fact that a meeting was held. There are several meetings that happen there because it is a public place,” he told the court.

Itumbi is charged with making a false document (the letter) without authority and publishing a false statement. He is charged alongside Samuel Gateri.

According to the charge sheet, on June 20 at an unknown place, he published the letter with intent to cause anxiety to the general public, a fact he knew to be false.

The prosecution claims he made the letter which is dated May 30, 2019 purporting it to be a genuine document made by a Cabinet secretary, a fact he knew to be false.

Lawyer Katwa Kigen representing Itumbi in the matter, grilled the officer over the said fake letter wondering how he came to a conclusion that it was false.

“I knew it was false because of the unconfirmed sources, the contents of the letter and the comments it attracted,” he told Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku.

Ruto also claimed that investigations were still ongoing but declined to disclose what they were about.

The lead investigator also claimed that he was not aware that Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya had confirmed that there was a meeting at La Mada.

Lawyer Kigen read to court newspaper cuttings where the CS confirmed that there was a meeting at La Mada.