NAIROBI, Kenya — The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has informed the Milimani Law Courts that Samson Taalam, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Nairobi Central Police Station, actively interfered with crucial evidence pertinent to the ongoing investigation into the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody.
Appearing before the court, the prosecution asserted that Taalam, who is responsible for maintaining station records and CCTV systems, allegedly hired a technician to tamper with surveillance footage at the Central Police Station. This act is believed to be a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice in the high-profile case.
The DPP further revealed that Taalam’s mobile phone has been seized and is currently undergoing forensic examination as an integral part of the broader investigation.
The prosecution expressed significant concern regarding potential interference with witnesses: “There are witnesses, particularly police officers who were on duty on the material day, who are yet to be interviewed and have their statements recorded. Given the respondent’s position as OCS, there is a high likelihood that he will interfere with these potential witnesses.”
In light of these allegations, the State is now seeking a court order to detain Taalam for 21 days. This period, the prosecution argues, would allow the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to complete its investigations without any undue interference.
“This limited period of detention is the least intrusive measure we can take to safeguard the interests of justice and ensure the victims’ rights are upheld,” the court was informed.
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The prosecution maintained that it had acted in good faith by promptly presenting the respondent to court and that Taalam had been fully apprised of both the reasons for his arrest and the grounds for seeking his continued detention.
“We have satisfied the legal tests required for pre-trial detention. There is already demonstrable interference with evidence and witnesses. We only seek a short window to conclude investigations,” the State Counsel concluded.
The court is expected to make a ruling on the detention application in due course, with the defense anticipated to oppose the request for Taalam’s 21-day detention.
