Post-mortem report vanishes from court
by MERCY KOSKEYIn Summary
- State prosecutor requested the court for more time to find the missing document.
- Justice Ngugi directed that the case be postponed as the prosecution looks for the document.
A murder case involving three policemen from Olengurone in Nakuru County failed to proceed on Monday after an original copy of a post-mortem report went missing.
The report, which was to be used by Government Pathologist Titus Ngulungu in court to establish the cause of Caren Chepkoech’s death went missing from the police file.
Appearing before Justice Joel Ngugi in a Nakuru court, the suspects Silas Mutuma, Reuben Miano and Wycliffe Wangila declined to continue with the hearing of case until the original copy of the post-mortem report is availed in court.
MISSING DOCUMENT
“We request the prosecution to avail the document (post-mortem report) in court before the case can proceed,” said the suspects.
State prosecutor requested the court for more time to find the missing document. Justice Ngugi directed that the case be postponed as the prosecution looks for the document.
Mr Mutuma, Mr Miano and Mr Wangila are accused of jointly murdering Chepkoech a bar attendant on 8 July 2014 in Olengurone town, Nakuru County. The three are out on Sh500,000 bond each.
Mr Charles Kiprop Ngeno, the owner of the bar, told the court that two police officers stormed the bar and arrested Chepkoech for allegedly operating past official hours.
He said that the police officers told Chepkoech to give them a crate of beer before arresting her. He was informed that Chepkoech died after jumping from a moving police vehicle.
ALREADY DEAD
A clinical officer at Olenguruone Sub County Hospital told the court that she was informed by a nurse on duty that some police officers had taken a patient to the hospital.
The medic told the court that the nurse informed her the patient was already dead.
The clinical officer said the victim’s body had no injuries apart from a wound on the back of the head. He said the wound was inflicted by a blunt object. The hearing will continue on February 19, 2020.