KDF murder suspect in court

By Boniface Ongeri
GARISSA, KENYA:  A suspect was on Tuesday arraigned before a Garissa court in connection with the assassination of three Kenya Defense Forces soldiers on November 19th.

Ibrahim Jelle Belle was however not required to plead to the murder charges as the prosecution pleaded for more time to conclude investigations.

Belle was arraigned before Principal Magistrate John Onyiego who remanded him at the Garissa police station.

The prosecution said they were likely to also charge him with the murder of the three police officers killed prior to the murder of the murder of the soldiers.

While applying for more time, the prosecution told the court that two soldiers who survived the shootings had positively identified the suspect as part of the gunmen who attacked them.

“We want at more time to investigate whether the accused is involved in the killing of police officers in the town”, he said.

Belle who was given a brief chance to address the Magistrate said he was Kenyan from Ijara District and had never committed any crime against any government officer.

He told the Magistrate that he read politics and demanded that two chiefs and a police sergeant in Hulugho where he was arrested be available during his prosecution.

Onyiego interjected and granted the appeal. The case will be mentioned on December 9th at the Garissa High court.

There was commotion in the court when the suspect was brought with heavily armed security details taking positions in and around the court.

Some of the court users fled the court before order was restored.