Only a prison can assure her safety, DPP says of detective Mugo

Private detective Jane Mugo during a hearing to seek state protection at a Milimani court. The ruling on the application will be heard on November 2, 2019. [George Njunge, Standard]

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) wants a private detective, facing charges of threatening to kill two people, detained at Langata Women’s Prison for her own safety.

Jane Mugo is out on a Sh300,000 cash bail with an alternative bond of Sh500,000 after denying charges of threatening to kill Deepa Shah Desmond at Kyuna Close, in Spring Valley on February 4.

She has denied a second count of threatening to kill Martin Mugusia in 2015.

Yesterday, prosecution urged the court to detain Ms Mugo for her own safety.

“The court can order that she be remanded at Langata Women’s Prison where her security will be assured,” argued the prosecution.

The submission came following an application by the private detective, seeking State protection. 

Through her lawyers, Danstan Omari and Brian Khaemba, Mugo told the court that she has been receiving death threats and it is only by God’s mercy that she is alive.

“Her clients have been given State protection, at the moment she has no gun, it is with the firearm licensing board,” Omari told the court.

In an affidavit, earlier this month, Mugo stated that she was being threatened by investigating officers and sought the court's protection.

"Our client’s life is in danger. She is afraid of the investigators in the case given the way they have been treating her. We call for the court's protection as we intend to reveal the context of the threats," the court was told.

In the affidavit, Mugo claimed that the threats to her life and to her family date back to 2014, and that despite reporting the cases to the police, none has been closed to date.

“In the course of this assignment, I have constantly received threats to my life and those of my staff in different forms including receiving anonymous calls (and) on social media platforms,” she said.

Surrendered gun

Mugo told the court that she had surrendered her gun and its certificate at Kileleshwa Police Station.

The court also heard that sleuth's fingerprints had been taken and a statement recorded with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

Omari informed the court that the charges facing Mugo were dismissed in 2014.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi last month, Mugo pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill the two complainants.

Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku has directed that the matter be mentioned on November 6, 2019.