AP in Mandera robbery incident charged afresh
Richard Githaga Karanja, the Administration Police officer who was 'rescued' by colleagues from Mandera Police Station, at the Mandera Law Courts on January 7, 2019. PHOTO | MANASE OTSIALO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
In the first count, Mr Karanja denied robbing two guards at a petrol station in Mandera town.
Police accuse the constable of stealing Sh729,000 from two petrol station watchmen.
Police also accused AP of stealing a mobile phone and Sh5,000 from one of the guards.
An Administration Police officer linked to a robbery with violence incident at a petrol station in Mandera has been charged afresh.
Mr Richard Githaka Karanja denied two charges of robbery with violence and another of escaping from lawful police custody.
He was charged after state prosecutor Mr Allen Mulama had the charge sheet amended.
In the first count, Mr Karanja denied robbing two guards at a petrol station in Mandera town.
He was charged that on December 8, 2018, together with others not before court while armed with rifles and other dangerous weapons robbed Dakane Abdille Abdi and Salat Osman Jelle.
Mr Karanja is accused of stealing Sh729, 000 from the duo, which was the property of Mr Muhudin Yussuf, and killing a guard.
NEW WITNESS
In the second count, Mr Karanja was charged that on December 13, 2108, he escaped from police custody.
He was charged that together with others not before court and while armed with rifles and other dangerous weapons, he robbed Jelle of Sh5, 000 and a mobile phone and in the process killed Abdi.
The prosecution asked for postponement of the case that was scheduled for hearing Wednesday on grounds that they needed to hold a briefing with a new witnesses.
Mr Peter Areri, who is the Mandera Senior Resident Magistrate, allowed the application but warned state and defence counsels against engaging in time-wasting sideshows.
BOND TERMS
He further ruled that bond terms set for the suspect remained unchanged after pleading to the new charges.
Mr Karanja, the suspect and a trained paramilitary Administration Police officer made headlines in December after his colleagues raided Mandera Police Station in the cover of darkness and freed him.
He had been arrested during an identification parade conducted within the same station after Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) AP unit had been accused of stealing from a petrol station.
Mr Karanja was released on a suspended bond of Sh2 million which will only be effected after all key witnesses have testified.
Hearing of case will start on Thursday.
