Boniface Mwangi's legal team have denied claims made by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) regarding items found in the activist's possession at the time of his arrest.
Led by advocate Njanja Maina, the team accused the police of planting evidence in an attempt to charge him with terrorist offences.
Speaking outside the Pangani Police Station on Sunday July 20, Maina dismissed the DCI's earlier statement, which claimed that Mwangi had been found in possession of a blank round and tear gas canisters during a search of his office.
“We have seen a statement by the DCI today that there are items that were picked from his office. We can confirm and state with no uncertainty that those are things which he did not have in his possession. So we do not know why they are coming up with terrorism charges,” she said.
Mwangi was arrested on Saturday, July 19 at around 4pm. According to his legal team, he was brought to his office immediately after the arrest, where an ex parte order had been obtained by authorities to conduct a search.
The activist's legal team further accused authorities of bypassing the ex parte orders which were specific to Boniface Mwangi's office, since they also conducted a search in his home.
She went on, "Boniface Mwangi was picked from his residence at around 4pm and brought to his office, where officers had obtained an ex parte order. The search warrant was exclusive to his office, but we can also confirm that they searched his home. We don’t know why this was done, especially since there was no arrest warrant accompanying the order."
The lawyer also clarified that her client was being held on a "holding charge" as police continued their investigations. Mwangi, according to the lawyer, was in a clean bill of health and had fully cooperated with authorities thus far.
Hours after Mwangi's arrest, several activists camped outside the Pangani Police Station, chanting his name and demanding for his immediate release.
In the DCI's statement, the investigative agency revealed that besides the teargas and ammunition, two mobile phones, a laptop, and several notebooks were also recovered.
The activist is set to be arraigned on Monday, July 21, where he is expected to face 'facilitation of terrorism' acts during protests which rocked the country on June 25.
During the June 25 demonstrations, tens of protesters lost their lives during a day which was ironically meant to commemorate those who died a year earlier.
