•The officers include Benson Mputhia, Consolata Kariuki, Martin Wanyama, Lilian Cherono, Nicholus Sang and James Mwaniki.
•There was a clash of two sets of lawyers who wanted to represent the officers.
Image: FILE
Six police officers linked to the death of two Kianjokoma brothers have been charged with murder.
They were each charged with two separate counts of murder for the deaths of Benson and Emmanuel Ndwiga.
The accused officers are Benson Mputhia, Consolata Kariuki, Martin Wanyama, Lilian Cherono, Nicholus Sang and James Mwaniki.
It is alleged that on the night of August 1 and 2 along Kiriari Mbuvori road in Embu North, they jointly murdered the two brothers.
They each denied the two counts before Justice Daniel Ogembo who entered the plea of not guilty for them.
Through lawyer Danstan Omari, Shadrack Wambui, Omayio Aranga and Paul Macharia they made an oral submission for bail.
They asked the court to release the six on bail saying it’s their constitutional right.
The prosecution had asked the court to remand the men at the Industrial Area prison while the two ladies are remanded at Langata Women’s Prison.
Ogembo said he had noted that the matter is of public interest and the defence made submissions for bail but the prosecution had asked for time to respond.
“I am of the view that the bail application should be made formally to allow the prosecution respond,” the court ruled.
The judge directed the defence to file a formal application for bail to allow the prosecution to respond.
Earlier in the day, there was a clash of two sets of lawyers who wanted to represent the officers.
Six lawyers appointed by the state to represent the suspects came to court saying they were appointed by Chief Justice Martha Koome to represent the suspects except one of the accused persons.
However, lawyer Danstan Omari said he is representing the first accused who appointed him back to the matter after he withdrew on Wednesday.
Lawyer Wambui also said he had been appointed by the third suspect to represent him.
However, the suspects have each signed in court and confirmed that they don't want the state-appointed lawyers but the lawyers who represented them on Tuesday.
This led the state lawyers to each withdraw from the matter saying they cannot act alongside the privately appointed lawyers.
They told the court that they had been fired by the six cops and had no choice but to withdraw.
Justice Ogembo allowed the application by the state lawyers to withdraw saying the accused were free to have lawyers of their choice.
He declined an application to quash the plea of murder saying they should plea first.
The case will be mentioned on September 22 for bail hearing.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris