Cops behind Coast youths' killings to face the music - Haji

DPP Noordin Haji receives a report containing names of people allegedly killed by the police at the Coast from HAKI-Africa officials Hussein Khalid and Salma Hemed on Sunday, September 9, 2018. /MALEMBA MKONGO
DPP Noordin Haji receives a report containing names of people allegedly killed by the police at the Coast from HAKI-Africa officials Hussein Khalid and Salma Hemed on Sunday, September 9, 2018. /MALEMBA MKONGO

Police officers involved in the killing of youths at the Coast will soon face the law, DPP Noordin Haji has said.

The Director of Public Prosecutions said it will not be business as usual for the officers who are behind the recent spate of killings.

“If evidence links the killings to any police officer, they should be

prosecuted," Haji said.

Haji spoke on Sunday after a meeting with HAKI-Africa, a Mombasa-based civil society on the forefront in fighting extra-judicial killings.

“There are no two ways about it, victims of the police killings must get justice,” he said.

Haji said in the next three weeks there will be a response to the killings, investigations and arrest of officers.

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He said his office will follow up the investigations to ensure there is no cover-up.

Hajj received an extra-judicial killings report from HAKI-Africa listing victims of police killings.

According to the report, 32 people including a 14-year-old boy were shot dead by the police.

Two other people including a seven-year-girl were injured by the police under unclear circumstances, the report shows.

HAKI's executive director Hussein Khalid

said the killings executed under the guise of fighting crime in the county.

“The rising cases of police killings are worrying. We are not against fighting crime, but we are against killing people,” Khalid said.

The DPP's visit comes days after three youths were allegedly gunned down by police officers

On Thursday evening, three teenagers, aged between 17 and 19, were allegedly shot in Utange, Kisauni constituency.

Two mothers said their sons are second-hand clothes dealers. They said they were picked by the police, taken elsewhere and shot dead.

Since 2012, there has only been one conviction where two police officers were found guilty of killing a 14-year-girl Kwekwe Mwandaza.

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