Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin has defended Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, urging the public and lawmakers not to rush to judgment over the death of Albert Ojwang in custody.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, June 11, Amin warned against using public sentiment to scapegoat Lagat, who has come under pressure from rights groups and political leaders demanding his resignation and prosecution.
“I am urging this August House that the general mood in the country should not be used to victimise DIG Lagat,” Amin told senators, adding, “Let us wait for the investigations to establish the circumstances under which Albert Ojwang met his death.”
Ojwang, a social media influencer, was arrested at his home in Homa Bay on Saturday, June 8, after allegedly posting a derogatory message online.
He was transferred to Central Police Station in Nairobi, where he died the following day.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, also appearing before the Senate, confirmed that Lagat had filed the complaint that led to Ojwang’s arrest, saying the post had defamed him.
Kanja admitted the police had issued a misleading statement that Ojwang died after attempting suicide in custody.
“I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service because of that information,” he told the committee, prompting applause from lawmakers.
An autopsy conducted on Tuesday at City Mortuary by five government pathologists contradicted the police account.
It found that Ojwang died from blunt head trauma, neck compression and multiple soft tissue injuries.
“There were serious injuries to the head. There were also features of neck compression and multiple soft tissue injuries that were spread all over the body,” explained Dr Bernard Midia, who led the examination.
Amin dismissed claims that officers under his command were involved in the booking process, saying Ojwang’s registration at Central Police Station was handled digitally by general duty personnel.
“The booking was not done by a DCI officer.The officer responsible will be identified through investigations,” he clarified.
Amin added that officers did not summon Ojwang before arresting him because they had been investigating a pseudonymous online account.
“At the start of our investigations, we did not know the true identity of Albert Ojwang,” he observed. “We were dealing with an anonymous user, and it took time and expertise to establish who he was.”
He defended the decision to arrest rather than summon Ojwang, citing risks common in cyber crime probes.
“If you summon a suspect who is in possession of digital evidence, there is a high risk they may delete it before you can retrieve it,” he said.
Kanja also backed the officers’ decision to move Ojwang from Homa Bay to Nairobi.
“We do not micromanage investigations,” he noted. “The officers are guided by standing orders and must make operational decisions depending on each case.”
Amin insisted that no officer would be protected if found culpable.
“If any DCI officer is involved in the killing, let the law take its course,” he said. “We are not covering up for anybody.”
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has launched a probe into Ojwang’s death.
Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin has defended Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, urging the public and lawmakers not to rush to judgment over the death of Albert Ojwang in custody.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, June 11,
Amin warned against using public sentiment to scapegoat Lagat
, who has come under pressure from rights groups and political leaders demanding his resignation and prosecution.
“I am urging this August House that the general mood in the country should not be used to victimise DIG Lagat,” Amin told senators, adding, “Let us wait for the investigations to establish the circumstances under which Albert Ojwang met his death.”
Ojwang, a social media influencer, was arrested at his home in Homa Bay on Saturday, June 8, after allegedly posting a derogatory message online.
He was transferred to Central Police Station in Nairobi, where he died the following day.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, also appearing before the Senate, confirmed that Lagat had filed the complaint that led to Ojwang’s arrest, saying the post had defamed him.
Kanja admitted the police had issued a misleading statement that Ojwang died after attempting suicide in custody.
“I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service because of that information,” he told the committee, prompting applause from lawmakers.
An autopsy conducted on Tuesday at City Mortuary by five government pathologists contradicted the police account.
It found that Ojwang died from blunt head trauma, neck compression and multiple soft tissue injuries.
“There were serious injuries to the head. There were also features of neck compression and multiple soft tissue injuries that were spread all over the body,” explained Dr Bernard Midia, who led the examination.
Amin dismissed claims that officers under his command were involved in the booking process, saying Ojwang’s registration at Central Police Station was handled digitally by general duty personnel.
“The booking was not done by a DCI officer.The officer responsible will be identified through investigations,” he clarified.
Amin added that officers did not summon Ojwang before arresting him because they had been investigating a pseudonymous online account.
“At the start of our investigations, we did not know the true identity of Albert Ojwang,” he observed. “We were dealing with an anonymous user, and it took time and expertise to establish who he was.”
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He defended the decision to arrest rather than summon Ojwang, citing risks common in cyber crime probes.
“If you summon a suspect who is in possession of digital evidence, there is a high risk they may delete it before you can retrieve it,” he said.
Kanja also backed the officers’ decision to move Ojwang from Homa Bay to Nairobi.
“We do not micromanage investigations,” he noted. “The officers are guided by standing orders and must make operational decisions depending on each case.”
Amin insisted that no officer would be protected if found culpable.
“If any DCI officer is involved in the killing, let the law take its course,” he said. “We are not covering up for anybody.”
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has launched a probe into Ojwang’s death.
By David Njaaga