KISII, Kenya, Oct 13 – Homa Bay’s Kassim Sebo has been remanded at Kisii Police Station after alleging that police officers pressured him to plead guilty to assault charges, prompting a court to order a fresh plea.
Sebo was arraigned before Senior Resident Magistrate Caroline Cheruiyot, where he faced charges of assault and causing bodily harm to Maurice Auko at Homa Bay bus terminus on October 9.
He initially pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him but immediately told the court that police officers had pressured him into admitting the offence.
His defence lawyer, Nyamweya, told the court that his client had been assaulted by police officers while in custody at Oyugis Police Station.
The lawyer further alleged that police had denied him access to Sebo following his arrest, raising concerns over his client’s right to legal representation.
“My client was arrested and taken to Oyugis Police Station where he has been assaulted by police officers. I tried to reach out to him since his arrest but the police denied me access to him,” Nyamweya told the court.
He asked the court to direct the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kisii Central to facilitate access to his client, arguing that Sebo was entitled to legal representation.
Nyamweya also urged the court to have the charges read afresh in his presence to ensure that Sebo understood the allegations and entered a plea voluntarily.
Prosecution Counsel Verrah Amolo, however, dismissed the alleged assault in police custody as unsubstantiated, saying no evidence had been presented to support the claims.
“The claims of assault at the police cells are mere allegations. There is no evidence presented to this court to support those claims,” Amolo said.
The prosecutor nevertheless agreed to a fresh plea.
In her ruling, Magistrate Cheruiyot ordered that Sebo be remanded at Kisii Police Station pending a fresh plea-taking session the following day, October 14.
“The accused will be remanded at Kisii Police Station and will take a fresh plea tomorrow,” the magistrate ordered.
The matter is scheduled to return to court on October 14 for the fresh plea.
The allegations of assault in police custody were raised by the defence and disputed by the prosecution. The court is yet to determine the assault case against Sebo.
