Mirema Drive murder suspect Dennis Karani Gachoki was on Wednesday released by a Nairobi court for lack of evidence.
This after the prosecution, through the investigating officer Kapario Lekakeny, told court that they had concluded their investigations but there was no enough evidence linking him to the murder.
Gachoki had been detained for 14 days pending investigations after he was suspected of the murder of Samuel Mugoh Muvota in Nairobi’s Mirema Drive as the main suspect.
Milimani resident magistrate Caroline Muthoni Njagi released Gachoki. “Having no evidence from the prosecution linking the suspect to the murder, I hereby release him and close the miscellaneous file.”
However, the court heard that Gachoki was charged before a Makadara court on Tuesday on the offence of drugging two businessmen and stealing from them Sh1.2 million.
The charge sheet reads that, with intent to commit a felony namely stealing, Gachoki drugged David Manali Kaikai with unknown drugs and stole Sh279,000 from account held at Equity Bank and Sh122,000 held at Co-operative Bank.
The court heard that Gachoki also stole Sh13,000 from M-Pesa, a mobile phone (Huawei P30) worth Sh28,500, laptop HP Pavilion 17 worth Sh97,137 and a speaker (Harman Kardon) worth Sh25,000 all valued at Sh564,637.
He allegedly committed the offences on June 24, 2021, at MUFU Height along Mirema road in Kasarani subcounty within Nairobi county, jointly with others before court.
In count two, the accused is alleged to have drugged Martin Nambale Wanjala on June 24, 2021, at MUFU Height along Mirema road in Kasarani subcounty within Nairobi county, jointly with others before court.
The court was told he stole valuables worth Sh544, 356.
He denied the charges but was remanded, pending his bond application on Thursday.
Gachoki is wanted in other counties for committing the same crime.
While being detained last month, the police, through a miscellaneous application filed in court, claimed Gachoki was the driver of the vehicle that was ferrying the suspected killers.
The officer told the court that the prosecution needed 14 days to enable them to complete the investigations.
"I implore the court to take notice of the clip going viral on social media where one man was captured by CCTV footage. For clearance of doubt, the crime was committed by more than two people. The person who committed the murder fled to the car that was parked by," the court was told.
Gachoki was suspected to be behind the wheel and is said to be in possession of a firearm.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
“WATCH: The latest videos from the Star”
