A Kiambu magistrate court on Wednesday ordered the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to release five vehicles belonging to ex Sports CS Rashid Echesa.
Senior Principal Magistrate Stella Atembo ruled that the motor vehicles were seized without “any support or any law of order of the court with sufficient reasons contravenes the constitution which provides for the right to private property and opportunity to be heard.”
The vehicles include Toyota Lexus, Ford Ranger and a Mercedes Benz E-350 which were not part of the search warrant as issued by court.
In March, DCI officers impounded five vehicles found at Echesa’s Karen home.
A Passat KAY 388A, KBZ 009J Toyota LandCruiser V8 and KBN 242N Toyota Mark X are said to have belonged to a Kisumu resident Esther Kabura.
The widow told a local daily that Echesa promised to look after her deceased spouse’s vehicles as she was involved in a family tussle.
A month into the arrangement, the ex CS is said to have started ducking her calls forcing her to report the matter to the police. She filed a complaint under OB number 58/11/16.
Last week, Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot ordered the DCI to release two pistols – Beretta 92 and a Ceska pistol – and a Range Rover belonging to the accused person.
While delivering the ruling, the magistrate noted that confiscation of the firearm is in contravention of a ruling delivered by the High Court and that the firearms are not related with the charges he is facing.
“I find that and hold that the applicant is entitled to possess the firearm and to also enjoy his motor vehicle,” ruled the Magistrate.
Last month, he moved to court demanding the release of his vehicle arguing that the use of public transport was exposing him to the novel Coronavirus.
Echesa is also a prime suspect in the Ksh39 billion firearms deal that was allegedly brokered at the Deputy President William Ruto’s Harambee Annex House office.
