Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Boss George Kinoti/ Courtesy.
NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 18- The High Court has sentenced the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti to four months in prison for contempt of court after failing to surrender guns belonging to businessman Jimi Wanjigi.
Justice Anthony Mrima said in the ruling that the DCI boss has chosen to remain defiant despite being directed to return the firearms to prominent businessman Jimi Wanjigi.
The Judge noted that even after finding Kinoti guilty of contempt, he has taken no action to seek pardon from the court or seeking to suspend the decision.
“In other words, Mr George Kinoti stayed put and waited to see what the court will do to him in the face of his outright defiance,” the Judge said.
The guns were seized from Wanjigi following a raid on his Muthaiga home in Nairobi in 2017.
The Judge directed DCI Kinoti to present himself to prison within seven days failure to which the Inspector General of Police should effect a warrant of arrest against him.
“In the further event the IG of Police fails to execute the warrant, the same shall remain valid and be executed anytime including when Kinoti leaves the office of the DCI,” said Judge Mrima.
The Judge had earlier directed the DCI boss, Inspector General of Police and the DPP to return all firearms and ammunition taken from Wanjigi’s residence in 2017.
The sought firearms are two Glock pistols, two assault rifles among others.
In his defence, Kinoti said the firearms license was revoked and some of the firearms Wanjigi held were a threat to security because they should not be held by a civilian.
In an affidavit, the DCI claims that some of the firearms held by Wanjigi are high precision military firearms not authorised to be held by civilians in Kenya under the Firearms Act.
“The firearms were subjected to ballistic examination and a report confirmed the Firearms Act prohibits them,” the affidavit read.
The initial order to return the firearms was issued by the judge on June 21, 2019.
