KILIFI, KENYA: A police officer investigating the murder of a Nairobi businessman has claimed that a woman detained at Shimo la Tewa prison is the main suspect in and mastermind of the killing.
The officer asked the court not to free Eddlied Mandi Jilani on bond arguing that as the alleged mastermind of the crime she is capable of fleeing the court's jurisdiction and interfering with prosecution witnesses.
Until her arrest Jilani was employed by the Kilifi County government as a driver. According to police she lured Isaac Kasim Jirow alias Sokoro to Nyali in Mombasa on March 8 this year where he was kidnapped and driven several kilometres in Kilifi County to be killed
In a sworn affidavit filed in the court before Justice Erick Ogola on Monday, Corporal Ahmed Abdikadir claimed that Jilani along with three other suspects allegedly lured Isaac Kasim Jirow AKA Sokoro to his death after a carefully planned killing.
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“We established that the deceased was allegedly lured to death by Eddlied Mandi Jilani alias Edna Alias Eddy working jointly with Makonde Ruwa Buni , Ngira Karisa Charo and Katana Karisa Charo” said Corporal Ahmed.
Cpl Ahmed claimed Jirow who was a businessman in Nairobi was kidnapped at Nyali in Mombasa on March 8 2018 and driven to Lango Baya in Malindi 180 kilometres North of Mombasa where it is alleged he was murdered and the body dumped in a thicket.
“The deceased was lured to Nyali area in Mombasa where he was kidnapped and driven to the scene at Lango Mbaya in Malindi where he was murdered and his body dumped, “said Cpl Ahmed.
The police say the trader was murdered in an effort to wipe out Sh 9 million debt he had allegedly given to Jilani who presented herself to him as a person capable of getting business for him in Kilifi County.
“Mandi Jilani represented herself as a person capable of getting business for the deceased and as a consequence she obtained money from the deceased approximately Sh 9 million which was the motive behind the killing to wipe off the debt “said Ahmed .
Principle prosecution Alex Jamii on Tuesday said the suspects should not be released on bond because they are flight risk.
“The accused persons are a flight risk and may never return for trial once released on bond. The gravity of the offence and the manner in which the same was committed militates against the grant of bail” said Jamii
Jamii told the court that the accused persons who alleged committed the offence on March 8 2018 along Mombasa Malindi road in Kilifi County should not be released on bond because they will interfere with the witnesses.
The state lawyer told the court that the suspects who are relatives will not turn in court for the trial because before Jilani was arrested she was found removing her property in a lorry to unknown destination.
“Jilani and Makonde Ruwa Buni are uncle and niece. The third and fourth accused are brothers and in view of the confessions recorded by second and third accused persons, it will be extremely dangerous to release the accused persons on bail” said Jamii
But defence lawyers Pascal Nbwana and Daniel Wamosta opposed the state’s application to deny their clients bail saying a bail was a constitutional right.
Nbwana denied claims that Jilani was a flight risk saying she did not even have a passport. My client is not a flight risk. She does not have a passport to fly out of the country” said Nabwana.
The lawyer also denied claims that his client wanted to run run away before being arrested. My client was just moving from her rented house to a personal one,” said Nabwana.
But Jamii insisted the accused should not be released on bond because one of the suspects has confessed that he participated in the killing and was ready to take a plea of guilty.
“The accused in question presented himself before Senior Resident Magistrate Lilian Lewa who recorded his confession statement in open court in the presence of court assistant, prosecutor and Cleophus Nyameta advocate who was acting on his behalf” said Ahmed.
