Bus driver and tout deny abducting traffic officer

A bus driver and a conductor were yesterday charged with abducting an Embu traffic police officer after he arrested them over traffic offenses. David Karanja and Joseph Mbugua were charged with abducting Police constable Denge Galgalo on October 18 this year in Embu town and attempted to drive him forcibly to Nairobi.

They were charged that while in Embu Town and with others not before the court and with intent to cause the officer be secretly and wrongly confined they abducted him at around 9.30 am on the fateful day.

The duo was presented before Senior Principal Magistrate Paul Biwott where they denied the offence and sought for release on bail. They at the same time applied to be supplied with copies of the prosecution witness’s statements and any other document the prosecution was intending to use against them.

The magistrate granted their application after prosecutor Frank Mnene indicated that he was not opposed to the application. The magistrate released the accussed on shxxxx bond and surety of similar amount and fixed the hearing of the case for November 13 this year.

A bus driver and a conductor were yesterday charged with abducting a traffic police officer in Embu. The two are said to have been apprehended by the officer over traffic offences. David Karanja and Joseph Mbugua are accused of abducting Denge Galgalo on October 18 in Embu town and attempting to forcibly drive him to Nairobi.

The court heard that the two with others not before the court secretly confined the officer at about 9.30 am with an intent to abduct him. They denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Paul Biwott and sought to be released on bail. They applied to be supplied with copies of the prosecution witness’s statements and any other document the prosecution was intending to use against them.

Biwott granted their application after prosecutor Frank Mnene indicated that he was not opposed to the application. He released them on a bond with surety of a similar amount. The case will be heard on November 13. Munene said Galgalo found the two dropping passengers on the wrong places and on further investigations he found out that they were operating on the route illegally.

Galgalo asked Karanja to produce his driving licence. He then boarded the bus and directed him to drive to Embu police station where he would hold him for his offence. As Karanja neared Kobil petrol station on the Embu Kirinyaga road, he turned and drove towards Nairobi.

It is alleged that the driver and the conductor defied the police officer’s orders to stop. Galgalo then informed police officers manning road blocks along the road to stop the bus as he had been kidnapped. Karanja however drove past the road blocks even after he was ordered to stop.

The prosecution said the officer was rescued after the bus got held up in traffic at the Piai shopping centre in Kirinyaga West District where the two were arrested and taken to Embu police station.