Turkish tycoon in court for defiling three girls

Osman Elsek Erdinc, a Turkish national who has been living in Kenya for more than 10 years, at the Shanzu Law Courts where he was charged with child prostitution and compelling indecent acts to three underage girls at his Kikambala residence in Kilifi County. [Gideon Maundu, Standard]

A controversial Turkish billionaire was yesterday charged with defiling three girls in his palatial house in Kikambala, Kilifi County.

Osman Elsek was arrested at his fortified home on Thursday night by police from Interpol, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and General Service Unit (GSU).

But in a case replica of a movie scene yesterday, Elsek was charged at Mombasa’s Shanzu Law Courts, the very facilty that he has invested millions in construction work as his communal social responsibility (CSR). 

He was charged with eight counts of child abuse and two counts of an indecent act with three children; two aged 15 and another 17 at his Kikambala residence in Kilifi County.

Man of influence

The court was informed that Elsek defiled the three between February and October last year. The accused denied all the charges before Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo.

The prosecution sought to have the accused remanded in custody until investigations are complete.

An affidavit sworn by Sergeant Emmanuel Kiptoo informed the court that being a Turkish national, the accused was a flight risk and might not appear for the proceedings of the case.

“The accused is a man of influence... If released, he will interfere with investigations,” said Kiptoo.

He said investigations are under way and if the accused was released, he would interfere with victims who are still traumatised from the incidents. However, Elsek’s lawyer Cliff Ombeta objected to the denial of bond plea, saying it was his client’s constitutional right.

He said the prosecution did not have any compelling reason to deny his client bond. Ombeta said his client should be presumed innocence until proven guilty by the court.

“The police should have completed their investigations before bringing my client to court; this issue of denying him bail is violating his constitutional right,” said Ombeta.

He asked the court to bear in mind, while considering the bond application, that his client has a fixed abode in Kikambala.

He further told the court that his client had invested over Sh2 billion in the country, and there was no way he would run away from the law.

He told the court the police are holding his client’s passport, and claimed there was malice in the case as it had been reported a year later.

“A medical document should have been attached to court documents to prove that the children had been molested,” said Ombeta.

The resident magistrate ordered the children to be taken to a children’s home.

He ordered that the accused be released on a Sh5 million bond or an alternative Sh700,000 cash bail. The Children Officers were ordered to produce a report on February 22.