From left to right: Informer Peter Ngugi alias Brown, AP officers Leonard Mwangi, Silvia Wanjiku, Fredrick Leliman and Stephen Cheburet who are charged with the murder of lawyer Willy Kimani, his client Josephat Mwendwa and driver Joseph Muiruri when they appeared  for the murder trial in Milimani High Court on Monday 16,10, 2017. The murder trial will proceed on Wednesday. [Photo: Bernard Ramoka]The murder trial of activist and human rights lawyer Willy Kimani, his client Josephat Mwendwa and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri failed to proceed today at the Milimani Law courts after a lawyer representing three of the five suspects linked to the murder   failed to show up in court.Lawyer Cliff Ombeta who is representing Administration Police (AP) officers (Fredrick Leliman, Silvia Wanjiku and Stephen Cheburet) did not show up in court on Monday when the trial was set to proceed after a short recess. According to the court, lawyer Ombeta did not communicate his absence to the prosecution or court clerk.Justice Jessie Lessit who is hearing the trial summoned Ombeta   to appear in court on Wednesday when the trial is expected to proceed.Lessit ruled that three of the five accused being represented by Ombeta will have to look for another lawyer if he snubs court session again.Justice Lessit said that Ombeta’s failure to appear for the trial amounts to disrespect and misconduct to the court.Four Administration Police officers (Fredrick Leliman, Silvia Wanjiku , Stephen Cheburet and Leonard Mwangi) are among the five suspects charged with the torture and murder  of Kimani, Mwendwa and Muiruri in June 2015.The fifth suspect in the murder is an informer Peter Ngugi alias Brown whose DNA samples allegedly directly links him to the murder according to a DNA report by the government chemists presented in court earlier.According to Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP) Mr Nicholas Mutuku, thirty four (34) witnesses have so far testified in the murder trial.Mutuku says that eleven more witness will be presented in court once the trial resumes.The prosecution has 10 days to present remaining witness as the murder trial comes to a close.

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