The Deputy Inspector General- Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli on Friday, September 20, 2024, apologised to Justice Lawrence Mugambi at the Milimani Law Court.
Masengeli also begged the court to vacate the conviction which condemned him to a six-month prison sentence.
“My Lord I want to thank you for the opportunity you have accorded me to stand before you. I would like to apologise to the Lordship and the Judiciary for the events that have transpired leading to the orders of this court,” Masengeli stated.
He continued: “As a police officer, it is my duty to enforce court orders and ensure that court orders are obeyed. I pray, my lord that this court accepts my apology and vacates my conviction and sentence, so I pray my lord.
Explaining why he had snubbed summonses seven times, Masengeli listed areas where he was engaged including operation bases in Boni, North Eastern region and Lamu’s Mpeketoni area.
He stated that his snubbing of the summonses was not deliberate and that he had made an effort to send legal representatives and the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat to the court.
During his sentencing on September 13, 2024, Justice Mugambi stated that Masengeli had seven days to redeem himself and avoid serving a sentence if he appeared in person and answered the queries on the disappearance of the Kitengela three- Bob Njagi, Aslam Longton and Jamil Longton.
A last-minute rush would make Masengeli enlist the services of Attorney General Dorcas Oduor to avoid serving his sentence.
During the court proceedings at the Milimani Law Court, Oduor clashed with former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Nelson Havi before calm was restored.
Kitengela 3 found
On Friday, September 20, 2024 morning, the three missing persons were confirmed to have been found weeks after their disappearance.
Masengeli maintained that the trio had not been booked to police cells in the country, stating that this was one of the reasons he failed to produce them as demanded by the court order.
” My lord, they ( the Kitengela three) have not been in police custody and I just learnt this morning from Nelson Havi that they have been found,” he told the court.
