Policeman ‘stole suspect’s phone’

The late Alexander Monson's mother, Hillary Monson, and a relative follow proceedings of the inquest at the Mombasa Law Courts yesterday. [Maarufu Mohamed, Standard]

A police officer stole a cellphone and money seized from British aristocrat Alexander Monson after he was arrested and locked up at Diani Police Station, a judicial inquest has heard.

An officer on the reporting desk at the station when Alexander was brought in in the wee hours of May 19, 2012, claimed that his colleague, a Constable Baraka, stole the mobile phone and Sh650 from where they were stored after the aristocrat was detained.

Alexander was the son of Lord Nicholas Monson and had been in Kenya for a few weeks when he was arrested in a bar and detained at Diani Police Station where he fell gravely ill. He was transferred to a local hospital where he died chained to the bed under armed police guard.

Yesterday, Constable John Pamba told the inquest that he established that Baraka stole the property.

“I came to learn that PC Baraka is the one who stole the property of Alexander which was recovered from him after being brought to the police station following his arrest by Corporal Naftali Chege,” said Pamba.

Pamba, who was testifying before Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo, said Baraka had not been prosecuted for the crime.

The officer, who was being cross-examined by lawyer Yusuf Abubakar for the victim’s family, admitted several times that he broke police regulations by failing to report that Alexander had fallen ill while in police custody.

“Yes it is true I did not record his health condition after I confirmed that he was not well in the cell after being informed by one of the suspects in the cell,” said Pamba

Pamba gave contradictory statements about Alexander’s health condition.

“Yes, I agree with you that I gave contradictory statements to Criminal Investigations Department and Ipoa after Alexander was booked in the cell,” said Pamba.

Pamba admitted he recorded a statement with the CID on June 2, 2012 that Alexander was in good health and normal when he was placed in the cell.

He also admitted that he contradicted CID statement at Ipoa office when he recorded that when Alexander was brought in the police station he was confused and could stare at one place for three minutes.