A self-confessed killer on Thursday, September 19, revealed how the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) promised him money in exchange for a false testimony in a murder case.
Reports by Daily Nation stated that Ngira Karisa Charo claimed to have recorded the confession of a Nairobi businessman's murder. He had been killed over a Ksh9 million debt.
“I was threatened in order to record the confession and tell lies that I shared with the court. It is not true that we killed the victim as I had earlier testified,” he told Mombasa Resident Judge Erick Ogola.
Charo had been charged alongside Makonde Ruwa Buni and Eddlied Mandi Jilani with the murder of Issack Kassim alias Sokoro, which happened on March 8, 2018, along Mombasa-Malindi Road.
The suspect was promised that the prosecution would be lenient if he testified against his colleagues.
Things, however, went south after he was handed a heavy sentence despite his deal.
“The plea bargain agreement was forced on me so whatever confession I made about this case is not true. I thought I would be set free but I ended up being jailed, which is contrary to our agreement. I did not kill anyone,” the witness stated.
Charo insisted he did not physically write any statement and that whatever was presented in court was written by the police.
“Police wrote the second statement on my behalf. Furthermore, I don’t know how to read and write so I am not aware of the content of the statement that I was forced to sign and accept as my testimony,” he pleaded.
With the fresh revelation by the suspect, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Alloys Kemo demanded that the eight-year-jail term imposed on him be set aside and that he be charged with murder.
“I want a copy of the certified court proceedings. I need to review the entire case and apply for the setting aside of the jail terms before we charge the witness afresh,” the prosecutor told the court.
The witness is set to plead to the charges afresh, having recanted his testimony, which has dealt a blow to the prosecution’s case.
