A man accused of assaulting a police officer has told a Nairobi court that he thought the constable was a robber.
Daniel Malaki Otieno is accused that on August 10, 2019, at Nairobi Hebrew Synagogue on Uhuru Highway, he unlawfully assaulted Police Constable (PC) Harisson Karisa Kazungu.
He appeared in Court Tuesday where he faced a second count of malicious damage of property. The court heard that he damaged a certificate of appointment belonging to PC Dennis Okumu.
In his defense, Mr. Otieno said PC Kazungu was in plainclothes at the time and he thought he was being robbed and acted in self-defense.
He told the court that he only later came to discover that the complainant worked with the National Police Service when he was arrested and taken to the police station.
The accused pleaded not guilty. Through his lawyer, Mr Otieno pleaded for lenient bail terms saying that the claimant was in the process of withdrawing the matter from court.
Milimani Law Courts Magistrate Martha Mutuku released the suspect on a cash bail of Ksh.100,000 or an alternative bond of Ksh.200,000.
The case is set for pre-trial directions on August 27, 2019.
