Court summons Mombasa’s Urban OCPD over attack on robbery suspect

Ali Ibrahim Aloice alias Mbala Mbala at the Mombasa Court in Mombasa County on Tuesday 5th March 2019, [Photo/Kelvin Karani]

Magistrate suspends hearing to have Ibrahim sent to hospital and treated.

A Mombasa Court has summoned Urban Police Station OCPD Eliud Monari after claims that a suspect was assaulted in custody.

Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Henry Nyakweba ordered Monari to appear before him today, after a robbery with violence suspect claimed that he was assaulted by police officers at Makupa Police Station.

Ali Ibrahim Aloice alias Mbala is accused of stealing a mobile phone and a wrist watch from Abdallah Mbarak Mohamed alongside other suspects not before court armed with crude weapons.

He is also accused of stealing a cellphone from Nabir Ahmed Omar at Buxton area in Mvita sub-county on January 31, 2019.

The accused did not plead to the charges after the court ordered the police and the prosecution to take him to hospital.

The suspect, whose head was bandaged, could barely stand when his name was called out in court. He claimed that police officers at Makupa Police Station threatened to kill him if he was released.

Urban OCPD Eliud Monari during a briefing at Urban Station in Mombasa County on Wednesday 4th July 2018 [Photo/Kelvin Karani]

“The police officers beat me saying they were going to kill me. They told me they would make sure that I do not survive even if I am released,” he told the court.

He named two police officers who he claimed were part of the group that assaulted him.

The magistrate took the prosecution to task on why the suspect had been brought to court in that condition. He termed the act by the police officers as inhuman and a violation of the suspect’s constitutional and human rights.

“This is not a hospital and I don’t expect to have the accused person plead to the charges in his current state. I am adjourning the other matters. Ensure the accused person is taken to hospital then call me. Make sure police officers use the main door to take him to their vehicle,” he ordered.