Witness in Dennis Itumbi forgery case tells of death threats, coercion

A witness in Dennis Itumbi's forgery case has asked the court to compel the prosecution to withdraw a statement he was allegedly forced to sign by detectives.

In an application filed under a certificate of urgency, Samwel Gateri Wanjiru, who is a member of a Whatsapp group known as Tanga Tanga, also says he received unspecified threats to his life as a result of the case against Itumbi over the ‘fake’ letter that claimed there was a plot to assassinate the Deputy President William Ruto.

"That the said officers further forcibly seized and took my cellphone, combed through the contents of my phone and thereafter told me that l was under arrest and that they would go ahead and execute me if l did not confirm that l had a telephone conversation with Deputy President and that Itumbi was my link with Ruto," says Wanjiru in his court papers.

He adds that the officers threatened that they would take him to a high-ranking security personnel so that he could be dealt with.

Wanjiru urged the court to order the investigating officer or any other officer from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to give him the statement purportedly signed by him at Muthaiga Police Station.

The witness claims he was threatened and coerced into signing a statement that he did not record and whose contents he is not privy to.

He fears that the prosecution will rely on the said statement during hearing of the case contrary to his will.

"That if the application is not heard on a priority basis, the end result of the application will be rendered nugatory as the prosecution might proceed and table the impugned statement before court,” Wanjiru said in this court papers.

The witness also wants to be given back his Identity Card to access his bank accounts.

 Wanjiru says he was arrested on July 2, by the detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and claims the officers seized his mobile phones, ID card and other personal items.

He says that was in police custody for more than 24 hours but was later released.

Wanjiru claims that he knows only knows Itumbi from public sources, and not personally.

In his supporting affidavit, Gateri says that during interrogation he informed the officers he is a supporter of the Jubilee Party and that he is a member of the Tanga Tanga WhatsApp group.

The new details emerged when the case against Itumbi come up for pre -trial conference on Monday.

The prosecution requested to be given more time to respond to the application.

Nairobi Chief magistrate Martha Mutuku directed the matter to be mentioned on Tuesday without the appearance of the accused person Itumbi.