Police Spokesperson Bruno Shioso has explained why a police Officer Commanding Station (OCS) was transferred instead of being interdicted.
On Sunday, October 30, NTV reported that the officer, who had been caught on camera aiding the release of a suspect from custody, had been moved from his post in Pangani.
Instead of interdiction, the cop was transferred to Ruiru area where he serves as a traffic police officer.
Shioso explained that the move was made to help the National Police Service to carry out investigations against the officer without his interference.
"You can get the details of investigations from the line commanders. It is administrative. Transferring an officer under investigation gives room for non-interference for fact-finding.
"Interact with the regional commander for specific details on administrative action," he responded to the media outlet.
On July 24, an undercover journalist, Ngina Kirori, caught the officer on video, who was attached to Pangani at the time, receiving a bribe to release the suspect from custody.
Kirori tracked down the illegal release of Hussein Mumin Hassan, a felon imprisoned for two months before thereafter getting deported from the country.
The operation began by his relatives getting in contact with the officers at Pangani Station via a middle man that successfully negotiated for a fee of Ksh190,000.
In the course of the investigation, Hussein's relative and middle man were invited into the office of the Pangani OCS Samir Yunus, who is believed to be aiding in the suspect's release. Hussein had just served for eight days.
After a series of agreements, Hussein was finally set free in mid-April 2022, just five days after the team initiated the operation.
When contacted by the journalist for comment over the release, Yunus denied any involvement and maintained that he did not take a bribe to aid the release of prisoners.
According to the Kenya Police Penal Code (2009), however, 'Any person who aids a prisoner in escaping or attempting to escape from lawful custody or conveys anything or causes anything to be conveyed into a prison with intent to facilitate the escape of a prisoner is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.'
Those who aide prisoners of war to escape are liable of life imprisonment.
