Celebrated Westgate attack cop in court for murder of two people

One of the Westgate attack hero cops Stephen Lelei was on Thursday arraigned before a Machakos court for murder.

The former Mlolongo OCS appeared before Justice David Kemei in Machakos, where he was expected to take plea, but it was deferred to Monday next week.

Lelei was arraigned alongside former cop Fredrick Leliman who appeared in court via skype from Kamiti, where he is being detained.

It is alleged that they killed Jacob Mwenda and Elizabeth Nduku in 2016  in Mlolongo Town.

Lelei and Leliman face an additional charge of unlawful use of a firearm contrary to Section 26 A (1) (a) of the Firearms Act.

Lelei was among nine police officers who were celebrated by the state for the heroic acts during the Westgage attack in 2013 that led to his promotion to OCS.

Leliman is currently on trial alongside four other police officers and an informant for the murder of human rights Lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri.

Justice Kemei ordered Lelei to record a statement with the Machakos DCIO and he was released on anticipatory bail.

Leliman will have to undergo a second mental test to ascertain if he is fit to stand trial in the new murder case.

This case comes after Ipoa investigated several cases and recommended the arrest and charging of nine police officers for various offences, among them Lelei and Leliman.

It is alleged that the two suspects shot the victims and thereafter reported that they were responding to a planned robbery.

“Upon independent review of Ipoa findings, the ODPP wrote to the authority and gave the green light to charge the following officers with murder,” reads the Ipoa report.

Lelei was in-charge of the Mlolongo police station in 2016, when lawyer Kimani, Mwenda and Muiruri were murdered in cold blood and their bodies dumped in Oldonyo Sabuk River.

His juniors were arrested and are currently on trial for murder including Leliman who is was the key suspect at the time.