Key witness in Willie Kimani murder trial says accused person sent him money to silence him

Police informer Peter Ngugi told the murder trial of human rights lawyer Willie Kimani that an attempt was made to buy his silence.

Ngugi, who appeared in court on Monday, told Justice Jessie Lessit that the first accused person Fredrick Leliman sent him money to ensure he does not testify or mention his name in the matter.

In his initial confession last week, he shocked the court when he detailed how each of the three victims were strangled.

“These accounts are different and you might be making them up,” the judge presiding over the case told Ngugi on Friday.

“If you think I am making this up, you can go ahead and deal with me accordingly,” Ngugi responded.

Ngugi was the last person of interest to testify along four other accused persons, among them four police officers and a civilian.

They were in September put on their defence after a Nairobi court ruled that they had a case to answer after Lady Justice Jessie Lessit ruled that the prosecution had established a case against the five.

Lawyer Willie Kimani was murdered in 2016 together with his client Josephat Mwenda and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri in what sparked outrage in the legal fraternity.

The murder case has however dragged in court taking a slow dive over the past two years.

The ascension of Justice Lessit to the Court of Appeal had threatened to delay the case further with Chief Justice Martha Koome allowing the judge to continue hearing the matter.

Since 2016, 46 prosecution witnesses have taken to the stand, detailing the events that led to the deaths of the three and the ultimate dumping of their bodies in a river at Ol Donyo Sabuk until their decomposing bodies were recovered one week after their disappearance.

Ngugi is currently being remanded at the Naivasha prison while the other accused male persons are being held at the Kamiti Maximum prison.