Officer alleged to have murdered girlfriend granted bond

Administration Police Patrick Oita Nyapara when he appeared before High Court Judge Jesse Njagi on Wednesday. He denied murder plea and was ordered to remain in custody awaiting a pre-bail report to establish whether he is safe if he is released on bond. [Photo Jack Murima]

After spending three weeks in custody, Police Officer alleged to have shot his girlfriend was on Wednesday granted a Sh1 million bond with a surety of the same amount.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said he no longer opposed Patrick Oita Nyapara's release on bond pending trial.

Through Prosecution Counsel Samson Ng’etich, the DPP had last week successfully applied to have the accused remanded until probation officers filed a pre-bail report.

When the matter came up for mention on Wednesday, Mr Ng’etich told the court the probation officers were yet to file the report.

This notwithstanding, he said he no longer wants Mr Nyapara (pictured) remanded.

 “The accused can be released if he executes a bond of Sh1 million with a surety of similar amount,” said High Court Judge Jesse Njagi.

Mr Nyapara was alleged to have killed Christine Maonga -a former teacher at Navakholo Secondary School- on March 14 at their Nambacha Village, Navakholo Sub-county at around 8 pm.

According to documents tendered in court, the officer who was in charge of armory at Navakholo Police Station is said to have shot the deceased at cross range after a domestic scuffle.

The investigators established that the accused called one of his colleagues to go pick the firearm and armory keys in his (Nyapara’s) house after the shooting incident.

Police Constable Evans Sewe, an officer who was deployed to guard the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices alongside the accused heard the gunshots from a distance followed by Nyapara’s call.

“I am sorry I have disappointed you as a friend. I wish I could have taken your advice seriously. She almost killed me, go to my house, under the pillow you will find a ceska pistol and armoury keys,” said the caller on the fateful evening.

Few days prior to the incident, PC Sewe had presided over a reconciliation meeting between Nyapara and Maonga.

Nyapara had complained that he had educated the deceased yet she had resorted to belittling him and not taking instructions from him which fueled a disagreement.

The accused complained that he had invested his resources and time to educate the deceased who was a teacher at Navakholo Secondary School.

Sewe advised the two to separate for some days with the hope that things shall be okay and the relationship restored.

However, he learnt that they had not separated and was surprised on March 14 when Nyapara called him to pass the unfortunate news of the demise.

Nyapara who now stares at an interdiction from the National Police Service (NPS) after he was charged with a capital offence was arrested on March 16 at Busia border, enroute the neighbouring Uganda where he wanted to take refuge.

Mr Nyapara was alleged to have killed Christine Maonga -a former teacher at Navakholo Secondary School- on March 14 at their Nambacha Village, Navakholo Sub-county at around 8pm.

He has been in custody since his arrest after the investigating officers asked for more time to conclude their investigations and later application by the DPP to have him remanded until the safety of the witnesses is guaranteed.

An autopsy on Maonga’s body by Kakamega Chief Pathologist Dixon Mchana established that the cause of death was a single bullet that penetrated the head through to the lungs where it was retrieved.

The bullet was submitted to the investigators for ballistic tests.

According to a report from Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) tendered in court, the recovered cartridge retrieve from the deceased was fired was Ceska pistol rifle which was in Nyapara’s custody.

The officer denied the murder charges before the High Court Judge Jesse Njagi.

The matter shall be heard on July 10.