Court orders Kinoti to personally arrest investigating officer in Echesa case

The court has directed DCI boss George Kinoti to personally arrest the Investigating Officer in Ex-CS Rashid Echesa criminal case.

Senior Principal Magistrate Kenneth Cheruiyot on Wednesday amended his earlier orders that had directed the Nairobi County Commander to arrest PC John Munjama.

On Monday the court issued a warrant against arrest Munjama after he refused to release Echesa’s Range Rover and two firearms as had been directed by court last month.

However, he changed his Monday’s order and instead directed the DCI himself to arrest the officer and produce him in court as soon as possible for sentencing.

“The Director of Criminal Investigations is directed to cause of arrest of police Constable John Munjama upon being apprehended should be escorted to this court as soon as practicable for purposes of being sentenced be contempt of court,” the order reads.

Former Sports CS Rashid Echesa when he appeared for the mention of his case at the Millimani Law Courts on July 20, 2020.
Image: CHARLENE MALWA

If found in contempt of court one is liable to serve terms not exceeding six months in civil jail paid or pay a fine at the discretion of the magistrate.

In June, Cheruiyot ordered Munjama and the DCI to release Echesa vehicle that had been confiscated during his arrest in February.

But the DCI are yet to comply with the order of the court which led the defense to go back to court.

The DPP had moved to the High Court in a bid to overturn Cheruiyot's ruling, but the judge dismissed the appeal and directed them to comply with the court orders.

Echesa was charged in connection with the Sh39 billion fake arms scandal.