Retired commissioner of police Michael Mbugua and two others were on Monday charged with killing a farmhand whom they accused of stealing a Kes 1,000 wire mesh.
Appearing before justice Kanyi Kimondo, the three, Michael Mbugua, Christopher Njau Mbugua, and Charles Kinyanjui Mbugua, were charged with killing George Njui on 23rd of December Last year at Riruta in Dagoretti, Nairobi County.
They all pleaded not guilty.
The DCI, however, objected to their release on bond, claiming that certain important witnesses had refrained from testifying in the case due to fear of Mbugua,, who had recently retired from the Administration Police Service.
“Some other key witnesses who were able to identify (Njau and Kinyanjui) at a secondary scene away from Mr Mbugua’s house have since developed cold feet in as far as cooperating with the investigators is concerned, citing fear of reprisals from the suspects,” the court was told.
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The court will decide whether to release them on bond on February 21.
The first accused, who is the biological father of the second accused and the foster parent of the third accused, is believed to have committed the offense in his home.
Additionally, the investigating officer said that Mbugua had altered CCTV footage that showed what happened on that fatal day at his house.
"THAT the Investigations from the DCI Photographic section have since established that the CCTV footage as installed at the home of the 1st Accused and which captured the commission of the said offence was tampered with before it was retrieved to aid in investigations.”
"THAT a review of the CCTV footage has now revealed that ONLY the events of the day of the incident being 23rd December 2023 were conveniently deleted before they were surrendered to the investigators,” reads court papers.
