A police officer accused of killing a 13-year-old boy Yassin Juma while enforcing curfew is expected to plead to murder charges on Tuesday next week.
Duncan Ndiema, the suspect was expected to take plea today but the court was informed that he is hospitalised after he developed Covid-19 symptoms.
He is said to have committed the offense on March 30, 2020, at Kiamaiko Area Huruma Area within Nairobi. High Court Judge Daniel Ogembo differed a plea against Ndiema after his lawyer Danstan Omari requested the court to postpone it till next week.
“My client developed Covid-19 disease-related symptoms and he is at Mbagathi hospital waiting for necessary tests and results,” added Omari.
Omari added that Covid-19 is a sensitive disease and he proposed that they take another date for plea taking. At the same time, the prosecution requested the court to issue a warrant of arrest or summons against the suspect to ensure he appears in court to plead to charges.
The prosecution insisted that if Ndiema is indeed sick with Corona-virus, the state will facilitate his stay. Judge Ogembo directed IPOA to investigate the condition of the accused adding that depending on the outcome of the medial report the police officer should appear physically or virtuallyto take plea.
“The defence should table all the tests records of the accused before the court,” Ogembo directed.
It is said that the bullet hit the boy as he stood on the balcony of his family’s home with his siblings. Below, police officers moved through the crowded neighbourhood, enforcing Kenya’s new corona-virus curfew.
The matter will be mentioned on June 23rd 2020.
