Court aide arraigned after file vanishes

A clerk at Shanzu Law Courts was yesterday held over a missing file involving a multi-million shilling narcotics case.

The clerk was arrested by detectives after the said file went missing from the magistrate chambers where it was under lock and key. 

The file case involved an accused charged with being in possession of cocaine worth Sh2,017, 200. Two other people were also arrested. An officer in charge of the court archives and another suspect, who is alleged to have bribed the clerk.

Police said the clerk had allegedly received Sh500,000.

Kisauni Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Josephat Kisingu said the magistrate reported the file missing. The case was scheduled for a mention on June 24, 2020, but the file disappeared a day prior to the mention date.

“Investigations indicate that the file went missing a day prior to the mention date, which was listed on June 24,” said Kisingu.

The investigator said that the clerk was the only person who had access to the file that was under lock and key at the magistrate’s chambers.

“The magistrate reported the file missing and investigations revealed it had been put under lock and key in the magistrate’ chamber and only the clerk had access to the file,” said Kisingu.

The accused denied the charges at the Shanzu Law courts and was released on bond.

“We also arrested a third suspect, on suspicion of having handing Sh500,000 to the clerk for the missing file,” said Kisingu.

The DCI boss said that police were looking for other suspects who are still at large.

“We are following on crucial leads that will bring to book other suspects who facilitated the file to disappear,” said Kisingu.

Late last year, three court officials including a magistrate from Mombasa Law Courts were charged after heroin worth Sh30 million disappeared from the court's exhibit store.