By Missing Voices Reporter
Published: May 4, 2022
Two Police officers facing murder charges for the 2016 brutal killings of human rights lawyer Willie Kimani and two others have been accused of killing another man.
The two, Fredrick Leliman and Leonard Mwangi appeared in court on Thursday to face murder charges but the judge pushed the plea taking to May 24 after their lawyer requested their mental assessment.
They will be charged alongside their former boss _ former Mlolongo OCS Stephen Lelei and their colleague Wilson Kamau for the murder of Peter Mutua Musyoka on June 2, 2016, just three weeks before the murder of Willie, Joseph, and Josephat (Mavoko 3) at an unknown place in Machakos county.
From left to right The accused persons in Mavoko 3 case Peter Ngugi, Leonard Mwangi, Sylvia Wanjiku, Stephen Cheburet and Fredrick Ole Leliman.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Noordin Haji recently approved murder charges against the four officers following the conclusion of investigations.
The four appeared before High Court Judge George Odunga following summons and the judge directed, they first are subjected to a mental assessment to find out if they are fit to stand trial.
Leliman and Mwangi are also on trial for the murder of lawyer Kimani, who was murdered on June 23, 2016, alongside his client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri.
In that case, Leliman and Mwangi are jointly charged with two other APS; Stephen Cheburet and Silvia Wanjiku, and Peter Ngugi, a civilian who confessed to the cold-blood murders of the three men.
The five, are currently awaiting judgment before Justice Jessie Lessit. The judge is expected to issue judgment anytime following the conclusion of the case in February 2022.
Kimani, Mwenda, and Muiruri were abducted and killed on June 23, 2016, and their bodies were found in Ol Donyo Sabuk River a week later. Their bodies were found stashed in gunny bags.
Separately, in yet another murder case, Leliman and Lelei face another murder trial for the killings of two other people a month before the killing of the Mavoko 3.
In that case, now pending before Machakos court, Lelei and Leliman are accused of killing Jacob Mbai and Elizabeth Nduku in Mlolongo town on May 27, 2016. Four weeks before the murder of Willie, Joseph, and Josephat.
In the murder trial of Willie, Lelei and Kamau testified as prosecution witnesses against Leliman and Mwangi who headed Mlolongo Spiv Team. Kamau was a driver for the Spiv officers when the three incidents occurred.
