Police officers in court for selling deadly liquor

Police officers arraigned before Baricho Law Courts in Mwea for selling illicit liquor that had been seized as exhibits. [Timothy Kariuki, Standard]

Four police officers and a civilian have been arraigned in court with accusations of selling illicit liquor that had been seized as exhibits and stored at Kiamaciri police station in Mwea West sub county.

The liquor is suspected to have killed 23 people and blinded many others in the area.

The officers, who include a former officer commanding station (OCS), and the civilian appeared before Baricho Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Stephen Nyaga on Tuesday.

They did not take plea as the prosecution sought to detain them for 15 days to complete investigations.

The lead Prosecutor, Jane Maari, told the court that Francis Muteithi, Brian Mwaniki Kariuki, Allan Kzalo Kimanzi, Kenneth Mugambi, and John Muriithi had sold the exhibits that had been in the station store since 2021.

She said the exhibits included pure ethanol, which is believed to have caused the death of 15 people in Kangai ward.

The investigating officer, inspector Michael Cheruiyot Arusei, said in an affidavit that the suspects had stolen the exhibits from the station's DCI exhibit stores between 1st and 5th February this year.

He said the post mortem for the deceased had not been done and the specimens had not been taken to the government chemist for analysis.

He also said that the first three suspects were serving officers at the station, while the fourth was a police officer at SOB Kabete police station. He argued that they could interfere with the investigations if released.

The suspects, however, pleaded with the court to reduce the detention period to seven days, with the fourth suspect citing health issues. The magistrate granted the prosecution's request and ordered the suspects to be held at Kerugoya police station in Kirinyaga central for 15 days. The case will be mentioned on 7th March.

In the same court, John Muriithi, the owner of the ill-fated California bar and the fifth suspect, was arraigned with charges of selling expired alcoholic drinks. He denied the charges and was remanded at Sagana police station until 7th March, when a pre-trial conference will be held.

There was drama in the court when Muriithi accused the police at Kiamaciri police station of harassment and jealousy.

He claimed that they only targeted his bar because he did not bribe them.

The magistrate told him that his concerns would be recorded.