An Othaya court has allowed televangelist Thomas Wahome of Helicopter Ministries to testify in camera in a case in which a chief is accused of stealing two pet dogs.
The court made the order after the cleric complained of intimidation by some villagers who had accompanied the chief, Paul Gachiri Wageni, to court during hearing of the case.
Mr Wageni is accused of stealing the preacher’s two dogs (Terrier breed) valued at Sh300,000 in December 2016.
The court heard that the preacher bought the dogs, a male and female, in December 2014 in Arusha, Tanzania when they were aged three months. He took them to his rural home in Othaya, Nyeri, where they were reported missing after two years.
In his evidence in chief, the 39-year-old preacher said the dogs were under the care of his farm manager, Stephen Ndichu, who informed him that they had been stolen.
“I reported the matter to the area assistant chief Mr Paul Gachiri to address the matter during barazas as I suspected they might have been taken by one of the neighbours. I returned to Nairobi waiting any feedback from the assistant chief,” he said police in his statement.
On November 3, 2018 the farm manager stated that he had sighted the missing dogs at the assistant chief’s homestead and the matter was reported at Othaya police station.
Together with the police, they proceeded to the sub-chief’s home where he positively identified the dogs.
But on his side the 55-year-old administrator, who is out on a bond of Sh200,000 after denying charges, said he bought the dogs from Mr Wahome’s mother, Ms Antonia Njambi, in the month of March 2013.
“After about two weeks since I bought them, the male puppy passed away and I remained with the female,” he said.
The hearing of the case continues.
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