The prosecution has told the High Court that it will prove former Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam and five co-accused fatally assaulted Albert Omondi Ojwang in custody before orchestrating a cover-up.
Opening its case, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) stated that Ojwang arrived at the police station alive following his arrest but was pronounced dead the following morning.
“The evidence will demonstrate that the deceased entered the police station alive and that his death resulted from an unlawful assault while in custody,” the prosecution submitted.
Prosecution Outlines Its Case
To build its case, the State said it will present testimony from Ojwang’s relatives to show he was in good health prior to his arrest. Prosecutors also plan to call the police officers who arrested and transferred Ojwang to the station, alongside the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem examination.
According to the prosecution, medical findings will contradict the initial police account that Ojwang died after hitting his head against a cell wall.
“The post-mortem evidence will establish that the injuries sustained by the deceased are inconsistent with the explanation initially given by the police,” the prosecution told the court.
Prosecutors Allege CCTV Tampering
The ODPP said it will rely on forensic experts and CCTV specialists to reconstruct Ojwang’s movements inside the station and to demonstrate how the accused allegedly tampered with surveillance footage after his death.
The prosecution argues the evidence will show the accused persons acted together to inflict the fatal injuries and then took deliberate steps to conceal the crime.
“This was not an accident. The evidence will show a deliberate assault followed by efforts to conceal what had occurred,” the prosecution stated.
Accused Have Denied the Charge
Urging the court to consider the full weight of the evidence, the State maintained that police officers hold a legal duty to protect individuals in their custody and must face accountability when they violate that duty.
Former OCS Samson Talaam and his five co-accused have denied the murder charge. The trial continues before the High Court, with the prosecution preparing to call its first witnesses.
