Police ploy to protect a robbery suspect who survived being killed foiled

Police matching in a parade. [File, Standard]

Detectives are on the spot for allegedly protecting a robbery suspect who survived a police shooting in which three of his colleagues were killed two weeks ago.

Yesterday, police in Karatina flushed out the suspect from a private clinic following claims some officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) secretly arranged to have him treated at the private facility.

Residents had complained that the suspect was being treated in a private clinic instead of being taken to a public hospital.

According to police reports, he was among seven suspects involved in a robbery on the Nyeri–Nairobi highway on August 16.

“They were intercepted at Jambo in Karatina and when told to stop they shot at the officers,” said Nyeri County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia.

Yesterday, County Police Commander Ali Nuno foiled an attempt by officers based at Karatina Police Station to transfer the suspect to another private clinic.

This was after The Standard informed the police after getting wind of a plot by senior officers in Mathira to shield the suspect from arrest and possible prosecution.

Mr Nuno said it was unfortunate that police were colluding with criminals in exchange for protection.

“The police service is facing serious challenges, especially when law enforcers team up with criminals to evade justice,” he said.

Yesterday morning, a vehicle and driver arrived at the clinic to pick up the patient, who was by then under surveillance by police from Nyeri.

The suspect was admitted in a church-run hospital in a remote village of Giakaibei on August 22.

He was later transferred to town due to security reasons as well as concerns by residents to have him removed from the area.

“Three Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers have been visiting him in hospital daily to check his progress,” said Patrick Kimwezi, the hospital administrator.

Mr Kimwezi said the suspect had been moved from Giakaibei and taken to Karatina town.

He claimed the patient told him he had sustained injuries after being knocked down by a boda boda rider.

But in an interview with The Standard, the suspect admitted the injuries on his right foot were as a result of gunshots.