Decision on police bid to hold Lugwili to be known today

A Kiambu County court will rule today (Friday) on whether to allow detectives to detain for an additional five days a town dealer whose office police found 22 guns and 500 found bullets.

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Mr Wycliffe Okello Lugwili, who spent Wednesday evening in custody, appeared before Kiambu Court on Thursday, but could not accept pleadings as detectives needed additional time to investigate the matter before charges could be brought before him.

The arms cache was reportedly located in Mr Lugwilis Office found by security team escorting auctioneers on a mission to haul businessman’s belongings over office rent millions of dollars in arrears.

Frail and weak

Appeared at the court in Kiambu en Mr. Lugwili frail and weak before Judge Diana Mochache.

Frail and weak

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His Lawyers, Mr. Simon Mburu and Mr. Anthony Mburu, protested the prosecution’s move with a separate motion to have the suspect detained for five days pending the conclusion of the investigation.

The lawyers argued that their client was diabetic and needed medication. They also argued that there was no risk of absconding.

“My client is diabetic and needs access to his medication. We oppose his further detention by police while investigations continue because he cooperated with police and even turned himself in at Kilimani Police Station upon learning he was a wanted person,” Mr Mburu said. Ms Mochache instructed the police to give Mr Lugwili access to medicines and to bring him before the court at 9am today to decide whether he should be detained pending further investigation.

Access to medicines

“The defendant will be granted access to medication tomorrow and will report here when a decision is made on the Others motion,” Ms. Mochache said.

Mr Lugwili was scheduled to spend a second night at the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) headquarters in Nairobi.

The suspect handed himself in at Kilimani Police Station on Wednesday, after which he was handed over to anti-terrorist police. Mr Lugwili was accompanied by his lawyer when he presented himself to police on Wednesday.

Mr. Mburu said there was nothing unusual as his client was a licensed arms dealer, and disagreed Police claim he had his arms dealer’s license revoked three years ago under unclear circumstances.

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