Punjani wife freed for lack of evidence in a narcotics case

A Shanzu court yesterday ordered the immediate release of  Karki Sushmi Ja, the wife of suspected drug baron Ali Punjani, saying police failed to link her, and four others, to drug trafficking.

The four were facing charges of drug trafficking.

Resident magistrate David Odhiambo described the prosecution’s case against the five Sushmi Ja, her nephews Ram Manoj and Bashyal Shiva, a gardener Boniface Maelo and house help Lucy Njeri, as “a storytelling mission which the court was unable to buy”.

“I hereby order the respondents to be released unconditionally since the prosecution has been unable to prefer relevant charges to the respondents,” he said.

Odhiambo added that the prosecution was not ready to proceed with the case against the respondents since it had not availed the preferred charges and had only produced the suspects in court to facilitate their release.

However, the prosecution, through State Counsel Augustine Ayeka had applied to have the suspects released on a bond awaiting further instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Released unconditionally

“I have instructions to have the miscellaneous file closed and further to apply to the court to release the suspects on a personal bond awaiting instructions from the DPP once the file has been forwarded to his office,” he said.

Odhiambo issued orders for the police to complete investigations in the next 24 hours failure to which he will order the suspects released unconditionally.