- In 2018, Ochola used to work at Obada’s executive office. He was an office messenger.
- On September 3, 2018, the day Sharon met her death, Ochola was called by Obiero. They worked together.
Image: COURTESY
An employee of Migori County government on Monday narrated to a Nairobi court how police officers harassed and pressured him to sign statements placing him at the scene where Sharon Otieno was found murdered.
Grado Ochola who currently works at livestock department within the county, told Justice Cecilia Githua that though coerced, he declined to sign the statements.
He said some of the things included in the statement was that “I was at Kodero forest on September 3, 2018, with this car..and Owade bridge"
Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, his personal assistant Micheal Oyamo and clerk Caspal Obiero are on trial for the murder of Sharon and her unborn baby.
Particulars of the offence indicate that between September 3-4, 2018, at Owade in Rachuonyo, Homa Bay county, the three jointly with others not before the court, murdered the two.
At the time Sharon met her death, she had suffered seven stab wounds and two slash wounds. The first stab wound was so severe that it went through her womb. This ultimately led to the death of the unborn baby. The baby was 12 weeks shy from being born.
Ochola, also a distant relative of Obado, said he had been arrested over the murder of Sharon and was held for 10 days as the matter was being investigated.
The officers he said, took him round from one station to another. It started from Migori, to Oyugi’s, then Ahero with the journey ending at Muthaiga police station. For 10 days he declined to cede to the investigators demands by refusing to sign a statement that had details strange to him.
“When they arrested me they told me the car I hired was used by the killers in eliminating Sharon. It dropped the killers from Migori to Rongo,” said the witness.
In 2018, Ochola used to work at Obada’s executive office. He was an office messenger.
On September 3, 2018, the day Sharon met her death, Ochola was called by Obiero. They worked together.
Obiero he said was among the many seniors he would take instructions from. Ochola said they used to hire cars and on the fateful day, Obiero asked him to hire a taxi. The vehicle in question is a Toyota Axio which is believed to have been used during the abduction and subsequent death of Sharon.
Ochola hired a taxi on self-drive service. It was a manual car. Since he was not an expert with driving manual cars, he didn’t use it for long. The purpose of hiring the vehicle was to transport water to Obado’s residence rented to him by the county in Migori.
Once done, Ochola said Obiero told him to leave the car at a car-wash in Migori.
“I left the car and left the key at the reception. Afterwards, I went home. I don’t know who took the car from there,” he said.
He told the court that he paid the people who hired out the car to him with money given by Obiero.
“Who else had the car when you left it at the global car wash?” asked the defense counsels.
“I don't know if someone else handled the car. I left it at the global car wash at 8pm,” said the witness.
The car was returned to its owners five days later. It was picked from the governor’s residence rented out by the county and not his home in Rapogi.
“After leaving the car at the car wash, is it probable that Obiero could have taken that car?” asked the victims lawyer.
“Yes. Because he is the one who gave me instructions to leave it there,” responded the witness.
The car he said could only have been picked by Obiero or anyone else working under the instructions of Obiero.
“On my part, I didn't instruct anyone to pick the car from global,” said the witness.
Hearing continues.