A man who has been charged with robbery with violence has claimed that the police are exposing suspects to Covid-19 by locking more than 30 suspects together in a confined space.
The suspect, Patrick Kimani, made the claims on Wednesday while appearing before the Makadara Law Courts.
He claimed they were more than 30 suspects are being held at Huruma Police Station and it was impossible to maintain the one metre distance recommended by the World Health Organization.
Kimani has been charged with robbing Jacob Omondi Okongo of his mobile phone worth Sh 17,000.
He allegedly committed the crime in Huruma, Nairobi on April 12 jointly with others who are still at large. It is alleged that the suspect and his accomplices were armed with crude weapons at the time of the incident.
He and his accomplices allegedly ambushed Okongo in broad daylight and robbed him.
The suspect denied the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Lewis Gatheru and accused police of torturing him while in custody.
TORTURED
He claimed he was injured during the torture and demanded to be taken to hospital.
However, the officer investigating the matter, Corporal Mwarabu, said Kimani was injured after he jumped from first floor of a iron sheet house where he had led police officers to recover the phone from his accomplice.
Mwarabu said Kimani attempted to flee while still in handcuffs but he was foiled by members of public.
Mwarabu said Kimani was immediately taken to a clinic along Juja road where he was treated and discharged.
Mwarabu also said Kimani is a convict of trafficking bhang. Asked by Gatheru about the sentence, Kimani said he was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and has served three months.
The suspect was freed on a Sh 300,000 bond. The case will be mentioned on April 30, 2020, while hearing commences on July 13, 2020.
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