Kenya police officers accused of planting weapons on former FBI agent

Richardson Clyde Roller and Mercy Shirley Mwendwa at the Mombasa Court. (Photo: Kelvin Karani/Standard)

MOMBASA: Police have been accused of planting weapons on an American former Federal Bureau of Investigations agent.

Richard Clyde Rollier was arrested and charged together with his Kenyan wife Mercy Shirley Mwendwa for being in possession of two guns.

Yesterday, defence lawyer Jared Magolo said police had planted the two stun guns, paper spray and a lipstick knife, all recovered from the couple's home in Nyali.

Mr Magolo said the anti-terrorism police officers had earlier conducted a search on Mr Rollier's home for explosives, but found nothing.

He said it was not possible that nine days after the search, the stun guns were found hidden in a black polythene bag at the servant quarters of his client's Nyali house.

Rollier and his wife were arrested in March this year and charged with being in possession of two stun guns without lawful authority.

They denied the charges before Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi and were released on a Sh500,000 bond with a similar surety.

The retired FBI agent who came to Kenya 11 years ago, has been under police investigation for possession of explosives.

Yesterday, Chief Inspector Rosemary Mulobi told the court that the guns are categorised as weapons and that Rollier and Mwendwa were not in the bureau's data system, and the guns were not registered with the board.

Chief Magistrate Theresia Matheka discharged Mwendwa on all the charges for lack of evidence linking her to the two guns.