Written by Daniel Saenyi and Catherine Sitati 2011-06-06 19:05:00 Read 101 Times |  |
Customers at a KCB branch.
An Administration police officer was Monday arrested at the Kenya Commercial Bank Bungoma branch when he was mistaken for a robber.
The officer identified as Mr. Washington Ndege an Administration Police officer from Amagoro had accompanied his female friend to the bank to deposit some money but raised suspicion as he kept moving in and out of the banking hall prompting the police officers manning security at the bank to swing into action.
A scuffle ensued as Mr. Ndege refused to be arrested and the police had to fire in the air before they wrestled him down and managed to handcuff him.
The cornered officer kept on identifying himself as a police officer but his pleas fell on deaf ears even after he produced his identification card.
He was arrested and taken to the Bungoma Police station where he was held for hours as his claims to be an officer attached to the Butula police station were being investigated.
He was later released after it was verified he was indeed from the Butula police station.
Mr. Ndege, explained that he was waiting for a friend who was in the bank that is why he kept leaving and going in to check on her.
“I was just waiting for a friend of mine who had entered the bank for a transaction so I had to check on her to see where they had reached on the line. As for me resisting arrest, the officers just pounced on me, and in the surprise, I tried to defend myself an action which gave me a bullet wound,” Said Mr. Ndege.
According to the Bank Manager, Mr. Mwita Nyagi, the lady accompanying Mr. Ndege had for sure confirmed that she had gone to transact business at the bank.
“The scuffle was uncalled for as the man was only waiting for his friend from the bank and the policemen would at least have given him a chance to explain himself,” Said Mr. Mwita.
Mr. Ndege would have faced charges for impersonating an officer, public disturbance and resisting arrest in court Tuesday morning.
Bungoma AP Commander Chrispus Mutali.
According to Mr. Chrispus Mutali, the Administration Police Commander for Bungoma, the officer was just being rude in resisting arrest and his officers had no choice but wrestle him down, an incident which led to him being hit on the fore head with a gun and incidentally shot.
Even though he was released, the AP officer is not yet out of the mud as he is set to appear before the Administration Police disciplinary board where his case will be heard and given the appropriate punishment. He faces the risk of loosing his job as the police force entertains no disrespect or inappropriate behavior.
“We have set him free, but we are arranging for a disciplinary committee from his station which will give him the appropriate punishment as the police law states. The suspect faces risk of being sacked as he understands the police laws and he went against them by getting in a fight with his colleagues. He was in casual wear, so there was no way of my officers knowing he was police officer, so he should have not fought with them because he knew they were his colleagues,” Said Mr. Mutali.
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