Agnes Tirop’s Murder: Arrest warrant issued for prime suspect and husband, Ibrahim Rotich
Eldoret High Court has issued a warrant of arrest for Ibrahim Rotich, the prime suspect and estranged husband in the tragic murder of celebrated international athlete Agnes Tirop. The move came after Rotich failed to appear in court for the second consecutive hearing, prompting the court to take decisive action.
On Tuesday, during a hearing that had already been adjourned once, the court was informed that Rotich could not be traced by either his family or his lawyer, Mbugua Ngingi.
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"We are made to understand that the prime suspect in the killing of marathoner Agnes Tirop is nowhere to be traced. We pray that his Sh400,000 cash bail be forfeited to the state for jumping bail," argued the prosecution’s lawyer, Okaka.
This is not the first time Rotich has failed to attend a court session. For the same reason, the court postponed the hearing last month. Rotich’s lawyer, Mbugua Ngingi, shocked the court by revealing that his client had not only failed to show up but had also moved from his known residence, making it impossible for the legal team to locate him.
"Your lordship, I pray that we give him another chance to see if he will turn up in court during the next hearing, but in the event he doesn’t show up, then a warrant for his arrest should be issued," Mbugua pleaded.
Vincent Tirop, the father of the slain athlete, expressed his frustration with the situation, urging the judge to summon the Officer Commanding Eldoret Police Station (OCS) to explain how Rotich managed to skip bail. "We need to understand how the accused person managed to jump bail. The police must provide answers," Tirop's father stated.
Lawyer Warigi, representing the prosecution, reminded the court that one of the conditions of Rotich’s bail was to report to the police every Monday. He accused the police of failing to enforce the court's orders.
“We pray that you issue summons to the OCS attached to Eldoret Central Police Station to come to court and explain whether the suspect has been reporting to the station every Monday as per the court ruling of April 15, 2023,” Warigi said.
So far, about 10 key prosecution witnesses, including Agnes Tirop’s younger sister and father, have testified in the case. On October 13, 2021, authorities found Tirop, a former World Cross Country Champion and 10km record holder, dead at her Iten home. Fourteen more state witnesses, including a government pathologist and homicide unit officers from Nairobi, are lined up to testify.
In his ruling, Justice Wananda issued the arrest warrant for Rotich, who remains at large, and summoned the Eldoret Central OCS to appear before the court on April 8 to explain the enforcement of bail conditions.
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