Acting Inspector General of Police(IG) Gilbert Masengeli, on Monday failed to appear in court for the sixth time in a row despite receiving multiple summons requiring him to appear in court.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Masengeli on Monday sent his Deputy Eliud Lagat, the Deputy Inspector General Kenya Police Service instead to represent him at the court, explaining that he was far away in Wajir and could therefore not be able to make it to the session.
According to reports, the Acting IG had on Monday morning travelled in the company of other officer at the National Police Service to Wajir and Mandera countiesto assess security operations in the two counties.
Lawyers representing him at the High Court, told Justice Lawrence Mugambi, the presiding judge that he was away on official duty and that was why he decided on sending his deputy to represent him despite the judge ordering that he appears in person.
The IG was summoned to appear in regards to an abduction case involving three activists who disappeared in Kitengela on on August 19,2024.
Masengeli failed to appear in court on September, 3, 2024 after he infomed the court that he was away attending a workshop in Mombasa.
Justice Mugambi however declined to hear the reasons for the failure to appear and insisted that Masengeli could not be allowed to appear virtually but instead ordered that he(the IG), appears in person today September, 9, 2024.
Lawyers representing the Law Society of Kenya, the families of the victims and other civil groups however asked the court to deal with the issue of failing to honour the summon decisively.
”My Lord it was not my expectation that I will stand here again having stood here five years, ago in a matter similar to this, the conduct of the first respondent must be dealt with by the court and in the strongest terms possible.” Nelson Havi, former LSK President told the court.
They told the court that it was surprising that the police service usually rely on courts to compliment the criminal justice system yet it was the IG failing to honour the very courts.
”It will therefore be turning logic over its head to allow the National Service which comes to this court day after day for summons to compel attendance and yet they failed to honour the very system,” they added.
However, the court by the time of publishing had not issued a directive on the way forward for the order that is likely to find Masengeli with offences of contempt of court.
Kenyans will be waiting to see the direction that the courts will taking and in particular the presiding judge on the case who seemed to be reluctant to give immediate orders after the IG snib the courts in its previous pronouncements.
The Acting Police IG actions adds to the long list of government officers who have been in the past accused of defying court orders….CLICK HERE FOR MORE ARTICLE>>>
