Courts allow police to detain suspects accused of drugging and robbing revellers

Antony Mathenge and Jane Wangui Ndung'u when they appeared in court in Nyeri, accused of drugging and robbing bar patrons in Nyeri Town.

Police have been granted two weeks to continue holding suspects accused of drugging and robbing bar patrons until investigations are done.

The police had requested for time to continue holding Jane Wangui Ndung'u and Antony Mathenge so they could also make more arrests in connection with what they termed a syndicate of drugging and robbing unsuspecting bar patrons.

Henry Kyalo, from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, told Nyeri Senior Resident Magistrate Ruth Kefa the two were arrested on June 29 after robbing John Mureithi at Escape Bar in Ruring’u.

Kyalo claimed the suspects also used Mr Mureithi's mobile phone to send alarming text messages to friends with intention to extort money.

The court heard that the accused borrowed a loan of unknown amount using Mureithi's mobile phone application before withdrawing the money.

Kyalo said some of Mureithi's friends sent money. They later reported the matter to police after they were unable to reach him. One of the friends reportedly sent Sh16, 000.

Kyalo said Ndung'u and Mathenge joined the table where Mureithi and his friends were before committing the offence. “Murethi's friends later left, leaving the complainant behind in company of the suspects,” the officer noted in his application.

Mureithi is said to have been drugged using an unknown substance, and abandoned in a hotel room on June 30, unconscious. The case will be mentioned on July 16.