The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has denied claims that it has decided not to charge Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat in the case involving the murder of blogger Albert Ojwang.
IPOA was forced to issue a response after claims emerged on social media on Tuesday, June 24, suggesting the authority had reached a finding that DIG Lagat had no case to answer.
Lagat has been mentioned in relation to Ojwang’s murder, with one of the officers charged with the death alleging that they were acting on orders coming from the DIG.
Since the blogger’s death on June 8, it has been confirmed that Lagat was the one who filed a complaint against the deceased on defamatory allegations.
On Wednesday, June 18, IPOA summoned Lagat to record a statement, with Chairperson Issack Hassan confirming that there were sufficient grounds to compel the DIG to present himself to the investigative agency.
At the time, two of the officers who recorded statements, OCS Chief Inspector Samson Talaam and Police Constable James Mukhwana, had been arraigned, with the latter recording a statement that strongly linked Lagat to Ojwang’s death.
Days after the summons, IPOA issued a clarification following a local daily's claim that Lagat was interrogated by the agency’s top leaders. IPOA clarified that, contrary to reports suggesting the Chairperson and CEO interrogated Lagat, it was actually the technical investigation team that conducted the grilling.
Meanwhile, Lagat has maintained that he was not involved in Ojwang’s murder, with his lawyers insisting he was merely an innocent complainant in the whole fiasco.
Through his lawyers, Lagat, who stepped aside from his position as DIG to allow for impartial investigations, challenged his accusers to share proof that he issued instructions to have Ojwang assaulted.
The lawyers also claimed Lagat learnt of Ojwang’s death the following day, and was equally determined to see justice prevail.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Monday approved murder charges against Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, Police Constables James Mukhwana and Peter Kimani, and three others over Ojwang’s death.
The suspects denied the charges, but the DPP strongly opposed the release of the accused on bail or bond, citing several compelling reasons.
The court heard that Talaam was the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), and James Mukwana served as the daytime cell sentry, while Peter Kimani was in charge of the night shift cell sentry, and John Gitau, a police officer under investigation for a separate murder case, had been detained at Central Police Station at the time of the incident, according to the prosecution.
