Police officers from Keroka Police Station in Nyamira County are on the spot over the sale of a motor vehicle that was detained at the station following a road accident without the owner’s consent.
In a letter to the Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome by the Amanya and Company Advocates on behalf of the owner Jeremiah Nyagechanga accuses the officers at the station of colluding to have his vehicle illegally sold to a businessman at Eastleigh in Nairobi county.
Nyagechanga says his vehicle was impounded after his brother Dominic Nyagechanga was involved in an accident in March 2022. Police drawn from Keroka later accused him of reckless driving and gave him a police bond but interestingly, he was never arraigned and/or charged in court.
“Our client is the owner of Motor Vehicle registration No. KCY 595K. Toyota Voxy. The said vehicle while being driven by our client’s brother was involved in a road accident on or about the year 2022 and the same was taken to Keraka Police, ” Amanya and Company Advocates state in the letter to the IG.
The law firm adds that Nyagechanga has made several attempts to have his vehicle released from the said police station but his efforts were futile.
“To his utter shock, while in Nairobi, Nyagechanga was informed by a friend that his vehicle had been spotted in Eastleigh. Upon rushing to Eastleigh, he discovered that indeed it was his vehicle and that the same had been released from the station without his consent,” the letter states.
“To make matters worse, the person with the vehicle informed our client that he had purchased the said vehicle. Through our client’s intervention, the vehicle was taken to Shauri Moyo Police, ” lawyer Amanya adds.
The law firm says that the actions of the officers at Keroka Police Station are not only unjustified but unlawful.
“It is very unfortunate that police officers that have a duty to protect citizens and their property would be the ones committing crimes and stealing from the same citizens,” Lawyer Amanya says.
“It is from the foregoing that we wish that you (IG Japheth Koome) and your good office intervene and bring to book the officers at Keroka station who were involved in the illegal release and sale of the vehicle from the station without our client’s knowledge and/or consent, ” the lawyer said.
Nyagechanga’s move to petition the IG comes after his efforts to have the Director of Criminal Investigations(DCI) investigate the Keroka DCIO, OCS and the junior officers at the station have not bore any fruits.
He says that on June 22 this year he and his brother Dominic wrote to the DCl seeking his intervention but to date, they have not received feedback or a report on the probe into the matter.
A letter dated June 27 from DCI officer Bernard Nyakwaka attached at DCI Headquarters in Nairobi ordered the Nyanza Regional Criminal Investigating Officer to investigate the two Nyagechanga brothers’ complaint against Keroka Police officers within seven days.
“The DCl is in receipt of a letter of complaint from Dominic Nyagechanga and Jeremiah Nyagechanga dated June 22 2023 on the above subject. The DCI has directed that You (Nyanza Regional officer) investigate the matter and forward a brief on the status of the investigation to reach here within 7 days upon receipt of this letter. Kindly expedite, “reads the letter in part by Nyakwaka.
Nyagechanga’s now want the IG to take action against the officers found to have sold their vehicle and be compelled to refund the money to the businessman in Nairobi to whom they sold the vehicle to. BY K24 NEWS