Police officer charged with theft released on Sh200,000 bond

John Kennedy Nyongesa Simiyu was arrested on August 30 around Kenyatta road area in Juja Sub-county, by sleuths attached to Juja Police Station following a report made at the station.

He is facing three accounts of stealing, handling stolen goods and being in possession of fake currency.

According to Juja Sub-county police commander Phyllis Muthoni, a 21-year-old man, whom police identified as Victor Ndolo, had been arrested and handcuffed by the suspect on August 29, immediately after he alighted from a matatu at Kenyatta road bus stop along Thika Road.

According to the police, Ndolo was allegedly forced into an unidentified vehicle that had two other occupants and was driven towards Gatundu town.

Muthoni told the court that the rogue cop demanded Sh100,000 from Ndolo, but the young man couldn’t raise the amount to buy back his freedom. He, however, managed to raise Sh10,000, and was released on condition that he leaves his phone behind and to top up the balance the following day.

Officer Simiyu, who remains a suspect in the case, was reportedly nabbed as he went to collect the balance from the victim, who had reported the incident to Juja police station.

Simiyu was reportedly found with fake currency amounting to Sh85,000, a bag and Ndolo’s mobile phone; and iPhone 7 Plus.

Police said that investigations to nab other suspects are underway following a series of reported cases.