Kasipul MP Were murder suspect Ebel Ochieng denied bail after threat against prosecutor
In response to the threat, Justice Kavedza ordered increased courtroom security and noted that the accused had threatened to kill the prosecutor.
Ebel Ochieng Kalo, a Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) board member and suspect in the murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong'ondo Were, dramatically escalated his case on Wednesday by allegedly threatening to kill a state counsel during court proceedings.
Ebel, alias Dave, allegedly said he would kill the prosecutor, Allan Mulama, when he appeared before Kibera High Court Judge Diana Kavedza.
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According to the prosecution, the suspect threatened to kill Mulama, who represented the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), prompting him to leave the courtroom.
"One of the accused persons, Ebel Ochieng, has threatened to kill the ODPP officer, Allan Mulama, forcing the state counsel to excuse himself from court," the prosecution told the judge.
The allegations followed an application by the prosecution seeking to oppose his bail release after spending days in custody.
In response to the threat, Justice Kavedza ordered increased courtroom security and noted that the accused had threatened to kill the prosecutor.
"The mere utterance of the words 'huyu tutamuua' (we will kill this one)—the question is, what about the witnesses? On these grounds, the three are denied bond/bail. The first accused is to be escorted to Mathari Hospital for assessment", the judge ruled.
Remanded
The judge further directed that all three accused persons be remanded at Nairobi Remand Prison, with the third accused to remain in isolation until the completion of a mental assessment.
The case will be mentioned on June 17 for further directions.
In May, Ebel and other suspects were detained for 23 days pending investigations.
In an affidavit, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), through Inspector Oliver Nabonwe, stated that all mobile phones and SIM cards recovered from the suspects would be subjected to forensic analysis.
Talking with other suspects
According to the investigating officer, it is believed the two were in communication with other suspects both before and after the fatal shooting, in what police are treating as a well-coordinated and premeditated crime.
He added that there is a need to further analyse several hours of CCTV footage captured by the IC3 system and possibly other privately installed cameras along the route leading to the crime scene to better understand the circumstances surrounding the offence.
"Through mobile phone triangulation and interrogation of witnesses, persons of interest, and accomplices already in lawful custody, it has been established that the respondents were in constant communication immediately before, during, and after the crime, and were near the scenes through which the deceased's car passed. This necessitates further investigation," the court documents revealed.
He also noted that preliminary interviews with the suspects indicated they possess crucial information that could help unravel the murder and lead to additional arrests.
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