The National Police Service (NPS) under the leadership of Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has come out to explain under which circumstances highly armed General Service Unit (GSU) officers were found guarding an apartment in Kileleshwa where fake gold was found.
The officers were guarding an apartment at Kaputei Gardens off Othaya Road when detectives conducted a raid, and found large black boxes containing fake gold. 15 suspects were also arrested in the raid.
The house is believed to be owned by flamboyant businessman Jared Otieno who was arrested last week in connection with the fake gold scam.
Otieno is accused of luring one Sounthorn Chanthavong from Lao, to the same house at Kaputei Gardens and defrauded him Sh300 million by selling fake gold to him.
In a statement, NPS said the police were not guarding the suspects but foreign diplomats residing in the same location.
"The National Police Service wishes to inform the general public that General Service Unit (GSU) officers spotted at Kaputei Gardens where a raid on fake Gold had earlier been conducted, were actually guarding members of Diplomatic corps residing with the court and not the suspects," read a statement on Monday.
The presence of GSU officers in the area had sparked off speculations that the suspects were enjoying protection from the government.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has been under pressure to explain the allegations amid threats of impeachment.
“How can you use General Service Unit to safeguard the home of those involved in the criminal activity?” posed Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa on Saturday.