Police have been given two weeks to complete investigations against five suspects accused of approving the construction of .
Milimani Principal Magistrate Eddy Agade made the orders on Tuesday in response to a request by the DPP's senior state counsel, Catherine Mwaniki.
The counsel asked for an extension since the prosecution required information from different government agencies, to decide whether or not to charge suspects.
The building owners, Samuel Kamau and Henry Muiruri, who are brothers, are being investigated together with three government officials: Chrispas Ndinyo, Justus Kathenge, and Seline Ogallo.
Prosecution are seeking to establish if Ndinyo, Kathenge and Ogallo - officials of National Construction Authority, Nairobi County Government, and Mathare sub-country administration respectively - had turned a blind eye on the building's construction.
Mwaniki said the police also want to record statements from other crucial witnesses, and leads,
which will enable the prosecution determine the criminal culpability of a
number of persons who are yet to be arrested.
of Sh500,000 each, and are required to be reporting at the CID headquarters until investigations are complete.
Agade denied the defence's application to have their clients discharged, since the prosecution has not finished investigations. But the magistrate assured that the suspects may not suffer prejudice in light of ongoing circumstances.
"Investigations in such an offence are intricate and complex requiring
diligence. Thus, the fair position would be to strike a balance between
the rights of the suspect and the public interest to meet the ends of
administration of justice," the magistrate ruled.
Earlier, the prosecution was granted 21 days to carry out inquiries.
Preliminary reports indicated that the building was illegally constructed on riparian land. The building owners were sold the riparian land by a governmental body, and in 2011, subdivided it.
The suspects are likely to be charged with murder, manslaughter, giving false information, and
aiding in the construction of the building.
The case will be mentioned on June 7 for further clarifications.
Read:
