The security of the High Court Judge Antony Mrima, who sentenced the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) boss, George Kinoti, has been beefed up after he claimed that his life was in danger.
In a statement on Sunday, November 21, Police Commissioner, Lazarus Opicho, who heads the judiciary police unit revealed that the directive was issued by Chief Justice Martha Koome after receiving the complaint.
Opicho further noted that the judiciary would work together with the National Police Service (NPS) to protect judicial officers faced with similar challenges.
"The security of Judges and Judicial Officers is of utmost priority to the Judiciary. Because of this centrality, and in conjunction with the Inspector General, National Police Service, the Chief Justice established the Judiciary Police Unit to support the security needs of Judges and Judicial Officers,”
“Due to the foregoing, I have been in touch with the Judge and enhanced his security,” the police boss stated.
However, the police commissioner urged the judge to lodge a formal complaint with the relevant authorities terming the allegations as serious and needed to be addressed with urgency.
“I have also requested Hon Justice Mrima to make a formal complaint to the police by giving details to facilitate enforcement agencies to commence investigations against this serious allegation,” Opicho stated.
While sentencing Kinoti to a four-month jail term at the Kamiti Maximum prison, on November 18, Mrima claimed that he received threats from an unnamed state officer following orders he had issued in a previous case.
“Recently I handled a matter and issued some orders. The orders were directed towards some senior state officers. I was surprised to be approached by an emissary sent by one of the said state officers,” the judge revealed.
Kinoti was sentenced after he was found guilty of being in contempt of court in a case involving firearms of businessman cum politician Jimi Wanjigi.
Following the sentencing of Kinoti, the DCI has come out to dismiss a petition that has been filed at the High court seeking conservatory orders against those issued by Justice Mrima.
"It has come to the attention of the Director of Criminal Investigations that a case namely HCJR 163/2021 has been filed on his behalf and the same is on the cause list to be mentioned on Monday, November 22, at 2 pm before Justice Anthony Kimani Ndung’u, at the Milimani Law Courts."
"This is to make it very clear that the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, has not instructed anybody to file a suit on his behalf or on behalf of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations," read the statement in part.
