Suspect in murder of Wells Fargo boss remanded

A 25-year-old suspect in the murder of Wells Fargo human resources manager, Willys Ayieko will be remanded in police custody for 21 days to allow the police to complete investigations, a Siaya court has ruled.

Victor Okoth Ouma who was arrested at Dandora Estate in Nairobi, will be detained at the Railways police station in Kisumu after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, through State Counsel, Evans Soita made a miscellaneous application to hold him in police custody.

Soita had applied for 30 days, but Siaya Magistrate Jacob Mkala ruled that he be held for 21 days, adding that the case would be mentioned on November 21, 2024.

The development comes as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations confirmed the recovery of the late Ayieko’s firearm and subsequent arrest of a second suspect, a woman, who was in the company of a man who escaped following an exchange of fire in Wagai, Gem Constituency.

 In his application, the State Counsel said the investigators needed time to piece together evidence and also go after the suspect’s accomplices.

He also said there was a need for Ouma to be held in custody for security reasons, adding further that the suspect had a pending robbery with violence case in a Siaya court while police were investigating other offences vide reports made at Ugunja and Yala police stations.

Soita further applied for court orders to compel Airtel Kenya to provide call logs and other details of the suspect’s cell phone line to the investigators.

The investigation officer, Inspector Oliver Nabonwa, told the court that the suspect was flushed out of his hideout in Nairobi's Dandora Estate where he had rented a house.

He said the suspect was placed at the scene of the crime through forensic analysis by a multi-agency task force comprising the DCI, police, and the homicide detectives’ unit. 

In his ruling, Magistrate Mkala ruled that whereas bail was a right, it was not absolute.

“Based on the submissions of the State Counsel and the investigating officer, Inspector Oliver Nabonwa, the respondent shall be held at the Railways Police station in Kisumu for a period of 21 days to enable the police conduct their investigations,” ruled Mkala.

Mkala further ordered Airtel Kenya to furnish the investigators with information in regard to call logs and subscriber information in regard to the cell phone belonging to the suspect and that a mobile phone, make Redmi Note be subjected to forensic examination.