Police are seeking authorisation to hold suspect Joel Kakuli Mwangangi at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) to retrieve a memory card he is alleged to have swallowed to destroy evidence in a fake title deed syndicate.
The suspect was arrested on 1 August and allegedly swallowed the memory card, which led to him being taken to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport anti-narcotics unit for assistance in retrieving the card, an attempt which was unsuccessful.
On Monday, prosecutor James Gachoka requested Milimani Chief Magistrate Bernard Ochoi to order that the suspect be taken to KNH for his bowels to be examined and the memory card retrieved; however, this attempt to expel the card through excretion has also proved futile.
Prosecutor Gachoka stated that Mr Mwangangi was meant to undergo interrogation alongside five others arrested with him to determine their roles in the production of fake title deeds and allotment letters for land in various counties.
The other suspects arrested with Mr Mwangangi include Benedict Mwangangi Ngala, Vincent Boaz Owang, Titus Wambua Kithuku, Sylvester Mwanzia Mwanthi, and Eric Omondi Ojwang.
“We are therefore seeking an ex parte order from the Chief Executive Officer of KNH to assist in retrieving the memory card for health purposes,” Mr Gachoka said. He also requested that Detective Nicholaus Osuri Otieno be given 30 days to complete the investigation.
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Led by Felix Kiprono, the defence lawyers for the suspects applied for bail, arguing that there were no compelling reasons to justify their detention for 30 days.
Mr Gachoka added that on the day of arrest, 1 August, the court had permitted the police to search the premises of the six suspects in the forgery case, to recover evidence related to land documents.
The police recovered printers, assorted rubber stamps, flash drives, printing papers, TV monitors, various certificates of title, imprinted goat skin, assorted deed plans, and plot numbers.
– By Ann Precious Kinyua
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