A 19-year-old student who allegedly assaulted a police officer along Kamiti Road and robbed him a communication gadget has been charged with robbery with violence.
Ian Njoroge, 19, on Tuesday appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi and denied three counts of charges.
Njoroge is accused that on June 2, jointly with others not before court, he robbed Corporal Jacob Ogendo, a police communication gadget and a mobile phone valued at Sh50,000.
The prosecution said immediately he had committed the robbery, he wounded the officer.
He faced a second count that on the same dates and place, he unlawfully beat up the officer and did grievous harm to him.
The court also heard, Njoroge resisted arrest by the said officer Ogendo who at the time of the resistance was acting in the due execution of his duty.
The prosecution opposed to his release on bail saying the investigating officer has not finished recording statements from officers who are witnesses.
The DPP requested for three days to finish taking statements and file a formal application to deny him bail.
Defence lawyer led by Duncan Okatch and Soyinka Lempaa said there are no compelling reasons to deny the accused bond.
Just because the officers have not recorded statements does not warrant his detention.
He is a student at a university and has a fixed abode. He has parents and was arrested at a home.
Okatch went ahead and played a viral video in court where the officer were hard treating the accused in a cruel manner.
He urged the court to release Njoroge on lenient bail.
“The officer who is the complainant in this case manhandled the accused inside his car,” Okatch told court.
Further, Okatch said the officers who arrested the accused in his mother’s house manhandled him and he fainted two times.
At the police station, the lawyer said the officers beat him and the clothes he had, had blood stains. The officers took photos without shame.
He is young and still innocent. Please grant him bail, he pleaded.
The officers confiscated his mobile phones and his student ID. They should be returned.
The police should not treat the accused as a dog, the lawyers said.
“He was escorted in court by 21 police officers. He is a victim of state insolence.”
We will be requesting for documentary evidence and a cctv footage.
The court was also told that Njoroge is to be arraigned for another case facing other three counts at the Traffic court.
The counts relate to causing obstruction, carrying excess passengers in a Nissan note vehicle and disobeying verbal directions given by an officer.
The magistrate directed that Njoroge be taken to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment and be remanded at Industrial area prison.
The case will be mentioned on Wednesday when the prosecution will file formal application to deny him bail.
Student alleged to have beaten officer, charged with violent robbery and three counts of traffic offences
