The murder trial of former Pangani-based police officer Ahmed Rashid has taken a new turn, with a set of sworn affidavits filed in court by key prosecution witnesses most of them fellow police officers affirming their willingness to testify in the case.
In affidavits sworn in court, the officers from the Pangani Police Station and other units affirm under oath that they are ready and available to give evidence against their former colleague Rashid, who is charged with the cold-blooded murder of two young men Jamal Mohamed and Mohamed Dahir who were gunned down during a public daylight operation along Eastleigh’s 1st Avenue on March 31, 2017.
Through Law firm of Hussein Mwae, the officers say they have cooperated with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and confirm they have no objections to testifying, contrary to earlier fears that some may be unwilling or untraceable.
“I am a police officer currently attached to Pangani Police Station. I have been summoned to testify as a prosecution witness in Nairobi High Court Criminal Case No. E019 of 2022 – Republic v Ahmed Rashid. I wish to state that I am ready and willing to attend court and testify as may be required.” one of the officers states.
All the officers have given reasons why they didn’t appear and majority say they were given short notice to appear in the matter.
Ahmed Rashid, a once-feared officer linked to a shadowy “Pangani Six” unit, has denied the charges and maintains that the two young men he shot were armed gangsters. However, a widely circulated video of the execution led to a public outcry and triggered an IPOA-led investigation that culminated in his prosecution.
