Arrest warrant issued against cop accused of assault

A court in Kyuso, Kitui county, has ordered the arrest and arraignment of a Nairobi-based traffic police officer over the assault.

Dominic Mbangula is accused of beating up Japheth Manzi after arresting him in 2021.

Kyuso principal magistrate Paul Mayova issued a warrant of arrest after Mbangula failed to appear in court alongside four of his colleagues.

The five were summoned to court through the Kitui county police commander, Leah Kithei on Monday.

They were expected to plead to assault charges.

The accused persons included police inspector Daniel Mutua, corporal Benson Kimotho and three police constables; Kevin Kirwa, Alfred Natire and Mbangula.

The prosecution, led by state counsel, Brian Kipkirui said even though the other four showed up in court, they could not take plea because they are jointly charged.

He requested the court to give a new date for plea-taking and issue a warrant of arrest for Mbangula.

Mayova ordered the five suspects to return to court on December 18.

On November 19, Kithei sent a request to the officers’ superiors asking that they be released to attend a court session on Monday.

The police officers allegedly assaulted Manzi when they were attached to Ngungani police station in 2021.

They have since been dispatched to different workstations.

Manzi said on October 18, 2021 the five police officers went to his home, arrested him and accused him of possessing a dangerous weapon.

He said after the officers failed to find the weapon, they took him to Ngungani police station where they beat him up, stripped him naked and squeezed his private parts.

After his release, he was admitted to the Mwingi Level 4 Hospital for a week.

Manzi said it is while in the hospital that he was visited by officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority who told him they were investigating the matter. He said he has been receiving threats from unknown people asking him to drop the case