I saw Njue take away heart, mortician testifies

Former Chief Pathologist Moses Njue in the dock at the Meru Law Courts on September 3, 2019 as the hearing of a case involving missing organs of the late Benedict Karau in which he is implicated was ongoing. [Olivia Murithi, Standard]

A witness in a case where a former Chief government pathologist is charged with Organ theft yesterday narrated to court how the latter took away specimens.

John Mutegi told the court that Moses Njue packed and walked away with a heart specimen during a postmortem on the body of Benedict Karau.

Mr Mutegi was testifying before Chief Magistrate Hannah Ndung’u.

The witness said he was on duty when the autopsy at Consolata Hospital Nkubu was performed by Dr Njue and Meru Level 5 Hospital pathologist Scholastica Kimani.

The mortuary attendant told the court Dr Kimani conducted the postmortem and removed specimens for toxicology and histology.

“Dr Kimani put the samples, which included part of the heart, in four containers, which I helped her seal after which she gave them to a police officer to take to the Government Chemist,” testified Mutegi.

When cross-examined by advocate John Abwuor concerning his testimony about the missing heart, Mutegi said he had seen a heart several times during his 19 years of practice as a mortuary attendant and was sure that half of the organ was harvested for further analysis.

When questioned about the remaining part of the heart, Mutegi claimed he had witnessed Njue place it in a polythene bag and walk out with it.

He was, however, at pains to explain the origin of the polythene bag that was used to wrap the heart.

“You testified that Dr Njue had already removed his lab coat and put it away when he wrapped the heart and walked out of the morgue with it but now you are telling this court that he got the polythene bag from the lab coat pocket. So which version is true?” Mr Abwuor asked the witness.