Police in Mombasa and Nairobi counties are holding four court officials, including Mombasa Principal Magistrate Edgar Kagoni, over missing 10kg heroin exhibit.
The three were arrested on Saturday and booked into different police stations pending their arraignment to face charges of mishandling evidence in court custody.
Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti said that the group is also facing charges of mishandling Sh600,000 which went missing on July 2019.
”They have been arrested in connection with reckless handling of exhibits leading to the loss of 10kg of heroin valued at Sh30 million and cash of various currency valued over Sh600,000 in July this year at Mombasa law courts,” said the DCI in a statement seen by the Standard.
The other suspects are Lawrence Thoya Bayan, support staff at the court and Executive Assistant at the Mombasa Law Courts Abdalla Abubakar, who are being held at the Nyali cells and Makupa Police cells respectively.
The magistrate is being detained at the Kilindini Police Cells while the fourth suspect, Onesmus Miinda Momanyi, an assistant at Ruiru Law Courts, is being held at ICD Nairobi pending his movement to Mombasa.
Kinoti said that he has enough proof against the four who are accused of interfering in drug trafficking cases.
"Our move to pounce on the four was backed by evidence after an in-depth investigation," he said.
The move could further worsen the already bad relationship between the police and judicial officers