Miguna Faults Raila's Request To Interpol Over Paul Gicheru's Death

Exiled lawyer Miguna Miguna has told off Azimio la Umoja leader, Raila Odinga over his urge to the International Police (Interpol) to take over the investigations into the death of the International Criminal Court (ICC) suspect, lawyer Paul Gicheru.

In a statement on Thursday, September 29, Miguna reminded Raila that Interpol is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime control.

As such it neither has the capacity nor the authority to investigate matters concerning Kenya and the International Criminal Court (ICC) should take over the probe into Gicheru's death instead.

"To conman Raila Odinga: The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is an organization of police associations around the world.

"It has neither the capacity nor the jurisdiction to investigate anything in Kenya. The ICC can investigate the death of Gicheru," he stated.

Raila's spokesperson, Prof Makau Mutua on Wednesday, September 28 had termed Gicheru's death as mysterious and unexplained, and he urged Interpol to take over the probe as he felt that he was not confident in the local investigative agencies.

"The pattern of mysterious and unexplained deaths, some of them gruesome and macabre, is extremely disturbing. To avoid cover-up in Kenya, we call upon the international investigative agencies including Interpol to lead the investigation," the statement read in part.

It went on to add that the case has international implications as Gicheru was in ICC custody at the time of his demise. Raila added that Kenya is a party to the ICC statute and should fully cooperate with the investigation.

The former Prime Minister condoled with Gicheru's family and demanded a probe into his son's illness.

"His son was reportedly rushed to hospital in unclear circumstances at the time of his father's death. Mr Odinga calls for a thorough and credible investigation to uncover Gicheru's death and his son's illness," Makau Mutua noted.

This is as police investigating Gicheru's death recovered CCTV footage among other pieces of evidence from his gated home in Karen.

An officer aware of the investigations revealed that the footage will assist them in identifying the last steps of the deceased employees and family members who were in the house on the day he died on Monday, September 26.

At that time, his wife, son visiting from the UK, his father-in-law and staff were reported to be present in the house.

Also recovered from Gicheru's Karen home were bedsheets, his office keys and two phones that were taken for forensic analysis to assess what communication pattern Gicheru used before his death.

Detectives also took some of the utensils that the lawyer used on the said day after he was reported to have passed away hours after eating lunch. His family found him with foam forming in his mouth inside his bedroom. 

DCI detectives at a crime scene. /FILE