Investigations to confirm the veracity of a letter detailing an alleged attempt to assassinate Deputy President William Ruto are ongoing, a Nairobi court heard Tuesday.
Lead investigator Isaac Ruto told chief magistrate Martha Mutuku that the letter was fake but they are still probing the matter. Asked what in particular they are investigating, Ruto was unable to give a conclusive answer.
He was testifying against former State House digital strategist Dennis Itumbi and Samuel Gateri who have been accused of publishing a false statement. It is alleged that they published a letter dated May 30, 2019, with the intent to cause anxiety to the public peace.
Gateri is alleged to have made a letter dated May 30 purporting it had been signed by a Cabinet Secretary in the conspiracy to assassinate Ruto.
Isaac told the court that after he received intelligence information from his boss Peter Maina, he proceeded to Embu where he found Gateri and gained access to his mobile phone. He confiscated his phones and his national identity card.
“Particular information that made me arrest him was because of the information he had posted on his Facebook page and later pulled down,” he said.
Asked whether he had obtained any search warrant or orders prior to confiscating Gateri’s items, he said “no”.
The court also heard that no meeting took place at la Mada Hotel where the question of Ruto’s assassination is alleged to have been raised.
Isaac said they never bothered to check with the management of the hotel whether such a meeting took place.
Itumbi’s lawyer Katwa Kigen further asked Isaac to state whether he was aware that CS Peter Munya went for a meeting on the alleged date, but he denied knowledge of that.
Katwa referred him to newspaper cuttings showing DCI boss George Kinoti confirming that they summoned Munya and four other Cabinet secretaries over the issue, but Isaac said he was not in a position to answer.
The hearing proceeds on June 28.
