The police force is on the spot with two DCI officers accused of stealing $2 million (Sh286m) from a city politician during the anti-government protests last month.
Milimani Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate heard that Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok allegedly lost the money to Mr John Kuria and Andrew Kuria on July 21, 2023.
The court also heard that a Radisson Blu Hotel employee who witnessed the incident has since died, under mysterious circumstances.
This came to the fore a day after Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome, defended police against lawlessness and brutality claims on innocent members of the public during the Azimio anti-government protests last month.
Lawyer Shadrack Wambui told Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki on Wednesday that the two officers, attached to DCI Headquarters Serious Crime Unit stole the money belonging to Mr Imwatok from a safe at Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi.
The court heard that Mr Imwatok had gone into hiding alongside Makadara MP George Aladwa and Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto when they got wind that police wanted to arrest them over allegations of engaging in subversive activities during the Azimio demonstrations.
Mr Wambui told the magistrate that money was stolen when the two officers arrested Imwatok from his hideout at the Radisson Blu Hotel.
The lawyer had applied to have the two officers summoned to court to present items they took from Mr Imwatok when they arrested him and on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, the court ordered the two officers to appear before him with all the items recovered from Mr Imwatok.
But the two officers did not turn up but sent another officer Gilbert Okemwa with two phones minus the $2 million.
The court compelled Mr Okemwa to take the stand to explain the whereabouts of the two officers and the money in question.
“I confirm the only thing that is in the inventory is only the phones and nothing else. The $2 million was not handed to me by the two arresting officers,” Mr Okemwa told the court.
However, the officer did not disclose the whereabouts of his two colleagues and why they failed to honour the court summons.
It has emerged that the two officers arrested Mr Imwatok when Justice Diana Kavedza had barred police from arresting him together with Aladwa and Ogeto.
The three were granted anticipatory bail of Sh100,000 pending investigation and subsequent prosecution.
Even with the order of the High Court in force, the police arrested Imwatok and charged him with subversion alongside Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch.
Others who were arrested and have been charged in court in connection with the demonstration and the ensuing violence include Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili Owino, alias Babu Owino and Calvin Okoth, alias Gaucho.
The magistrate directed Imwatok to seek redress for the theft of millions at the High Court.
Earlier, lawyer Sam Nyaberi who represented three other city employees arrested during the demonstrations period disclosed to Magistrate Ben Mark Enhubi that police also robbed his client of Sh5.6 Millon during his arrest.
Nyaberi told the court that MCA Redson Otieno Onyango (Ngei) lost Sh1.8 million and Wilfred Oluoch Odalo (Mabatini) Sh3.2 million while Mr Eric Otieno who is an employee of Nairobi County lost Sh580,000 to the police when arrested at a Nairobi eatery within Kilimani area.
Azimio claims that over 50 people were killed by police during the protests.
IG Koome on Tuesday went public, claiming that Azimio hired bodies from mortuaries to paint police in bad light.
The demonstrators that rocked the country were over concerns about the high cost of living and the controversial Finance Act 2023.
