From left to right: Informer Peter Ngugi alias Brown, AP officers Leonard Mwangi, Silvia Wanjiku, Fredrick Leliman and Stephen Cheburet who are charged with the murder of lawyer Willy Kimani, his client Josephat Mwendwa and driver Joseph Muiruri when they appeared for the murder trial in Milimani High Court on Monday. The murder trial has been adjourned to October 23, 2017. [Photo: Bernard Ramoka.]
The murder trial of activist and human rights lawyer Willy Kimani, his client Josephat Mwendwa and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri has once again failed to proceed at the Milimani Law courts on Wednesday after one of the Administration Police (AP) officers charged with the murder fell sick forcing the court to adjourn.
The suspect (Leonard Mwangi) is said to have fallen ill on Monday and could not be availed in court today when the trial was set to proceed.
High court Judge Jessie Lessit adjourned the trial to Monday October 23, 2017 saying that the proceedings could not continue in the absence of the suspect.
On Monday the court had adjourned after lawyer Cliff Ombeta who is representing three of the five accused failed to show up in court.
Four Administration Police officers (Fredrick Leliman, Silvia Wanjiku , Stephen Cheburet and Leonard Mwangi) are among five suspects charged with the torture and murder of Kimani, Mwendwa and Muiruri in June 2015.
The fifth suspect in the murder is an informer Peter Ngugi alias Brown whose DNA samples allegedly directly links him to the murder according to a DNA report by the government chemists presented in court earlier.
According to Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP) Mr Nicholas Mutuku, thirty four (34) witnesses have so far testified in the murder trial.
Mutuku says that eleven more witness will be presented in court once the trial resumes.
The prosecution has 10 days to present remaining to present witness as the murder trial nears closure