State will consolidate Maribe, Irungu cases before plea

TV journalist Jacque Maribe.

The State is consolidating three cases facing journalist Jacque Maribe, Joseph Irungu and Brian Kasaine before asking them to take plea over the gruesome murder of Monica Nyawira Kimani.

The three suspects, held in different police stations as ordered by the court, are set to be presented in the dock again this week after detectives tie up loose ends in their investigations by the end of today.

Part of the evidence is forensic analysis of a kitchen knife and money collected by police from Maribe’s house and ballistic results of the gun confiscated from Kassaine’s house. Police believe the money was picked from Monica’s house when she was murdered.

So far it is only Kasaine whose DNA samples have not been taken but sources at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said this will be done today. 

Maribe’s DNA samples were taken on Friday night at the Gigiri Police station where she is being held while Irunguhad his taken last week.

Irungu who the police consider the prime suspect in the murder, is to be arraigned in court tomorrow. The 10 day period issued by the court allowing police to hold him expires today.

Suicide bid

By yesterday evening it was still not clear whether the state will present him in court tomorrow together with the other two suspects or if he will be on the dock alone. Among the things detectives have been unable to link is Irungu’s alleged attempted suicide at Maribe’s house and Monica’s murder.

Results of the DNA test done on Maribe will determine if she was at Monica’s house on the night she was murdered. So far, detectives have been unable to ascertain if Maribe and Monica knew each other. Nevertheless, Irungu is set to be charged with murder and bearing false witness.

Kasaine too is to be charged with being an accomplice to murder and illegal possession of a firearm while Maribe is to be charged with assisting to cover up a murder and giving false statements. Other reports emrging from DCI hadquarters had it that Maribe’s charge revolves around failure to report to police that Jowie had committed a crime. Police believe she knew about the murder but have been struggling to back this up with evidence.

However the TV journalist’s lawyer Katwa Kigen was yesterday resolute that she would be released. An earlier plan to jolt the case with a judicial review application at the Constitutional Court had been dropped and they were going to wait on police to finish their investigations by Thursday.

“We are quite optimistic that we will be out of this and therefore we are electing to wait until Thursday. My client is absolutely far removed from the essentials of the crime- knowledge of the victim, presence in murder scene and ownership and use of the gun in question,” Kigen said.

He was categorical that Maribe had not considered pleabargaining with the state to ease her off the case on condition of testifying against Irungu. The lawyer also confirmed that cops has extracted DNA samples from Maribe to help them in making final conclusions on her.

“She has told the whole truth and we believe that is what will set her free on Thursday,” he said.

He said he believed that the police will take into account the good faith of his client in making their determination: “We have cooperated fully. We have done our best to dissociate ourselves with the drama being spewed out there because we are also aware a life was lost and justice must be obtained.”