A man accused of sodomising two minor boys has told the court he paid Sh150,000 to the investigating officer to help fake his own death and avoid prison.
Dennis Ndema Kathumo, a food vendor, went into hiding for three years but was finally discovered and arrested on March 27 along Mombasa Road where his line was tracked.
He was arraigned on Tuesday for allegedly defiling two boys, aged 11 and 12 years in 2016.
Makadara principal magistrate Eva Kanyirion asked where he had been.
Kathumo said he was approached by the investigating officer who said he wanted to help him since the complainants made a solid case against him.
He said he officer directed him to go to an area sub chief in Kitui county and was told he would write him a burial permit.
He said he paid the constable Sh150,000 in three installments.
A copy of the burial permit seen by the Sar shows it was issued to Cyrus Mwanzia, the elder brother of Kathumo. But Kathumo said he collected the permit and the chief had talked to the constable earlier about the deal.
“He [the constable] told me I should switch off my phone and buy a new line and I should not be seen around, He said if he ever sees me around, I would be charged with a similar offence,” he said.
This came after the IO said the accused is supposed to take a plea in a different matter in which he is accused of sodomising a minor.
Kanyiri ordered the accused to be remanded until June 23 when the hearing will proceed.
She directed DCI to investigate.
SODOMISED BOYS
The court heard on Tuesday that between June 12 and 19 at Pipeline Estate in Embakasi, Kathumo defiled the boys. He faced an alternate charge of committing an indecent act with the minors.
He was freed on a bond of Sh400,000 after a relative Geoffrey Chungu surrendered his title deed as surety.
The court heard that on Sunday June 12 three minors from Mukuru kwa Njenga slums were visiting Transami area.
On their way back to Pipeline, the accused who operated a food kiosk along the roadside summoned the boys at 5pm.
He gave each of one two chapatis and asked asking them to help him at the kiosk.
When they later wanted to go home, Kathome allegedly refused and said it was dangerous to walk at night. He offered to let them spend the night with him.
That night he defiled the 11 year old. In the morning he locked all three inside but one escaped.
When he came back from work in the evening to bring them chapatis, one boy was missing. He allegedly defiled the 12 year old.
He locked them up until June, 19 when he took them to the kiosk with him.They were rescued by a friend and the matter was reported at the police post.
In 2018 after the parents of the victims had testified, Chungu came to claim his title deed after he was informed Kathumo had died.
According to the death certificate presented in court, Kathumo, then age 30, had died on April, 16, 2018, due to intestinal perforation caused by typhoid fever.
But after scrutiny, the office of the Registrar of Persons wrote to the court saying the certificate never originated from their office. BY THE STAR