Journalist Jacque Maribe arriving at Kiambu Law Courts following her arrest over the weekend.
She is in the company of detective Maxwell Otieno, lead investigator in the murder of Monica Kimani. pic.twitter.com/ZAdB63lbPJ— Moruri?? (@O_NyangaiM) October 1, 2018
Citizen TV Journalist Jacque Maribe, a suspect in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani in Nairobi, has been arraigned in Kiambu.
Detectives brought Ms Maribe to court at 8.30am Monday and locked her up at the cells as she waited for her date with destiny.
She was taken to court a few minutes after 9am, with the state prosecution making an application to extend her lock-up as they investigate the murder that has also seen the arrest and detention of her fiancé Joseph Kuria Irungu.
The prosecutors asked Kiambu Principal Magistrate Justus Kituku to allow police to detain her for another 11 days at Gigiri Police Station in the capital Nairobi.
They cited ballistic examination of the samples that they took from the suspect’s house and a pending DNA test that they intend to undertake.
If set free, they told the magistrate, Ms Maribe is likely to interfere with the ongoing investigations.
Jacque Maribe due in court as murder probe continues: NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 1 – Citizen TV news anchor Jacque Maribe is due to be arraigned in court Monday morning as investigations into the murder of M.. https://t.co/Sg2fSkXwgY
— Breaking News (@News_Kenya) October 1, 2018
Ms Maribe arrives for her court date on October 1, 2018. But her lawyer Katwa Kigen opposed the request, saying the “time requested for is unreasonable”.
The reasons given by the prosecution, Mr Kigen said, are not compelling.
Mr Kigen also decried the conditions under which Ms Maribe was held over the weekend, saying she was intimidated and mocked by fellow inmates.
If the court decided to detain the journalist for more days, he said, the magistrate should her rights as a suspect are not violated.
The news anchor, who broke the news of Ms Kimani’s death on TV, was arrested on Saturday, days after she was interrogated by detectives.
Her fiancé Irungu, the main suspect in the murder, was last week presented before Kiambu Senior Resident Magistrate Stella Atambo who allowed police to detain him for 10 more days as they investigate the case.
Happening Now- Monica Kimani murder probe: Jacque Maribe presented in Kiambu Law Courts this morning following the murder of Monica Kimani pic.twitter.com/2JrclyZ86A
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) October 1, 2018
[Video] Journalist Jacque Maribe and business man Brian Kasaine to be arraigned in court #Daybreak: Journalist Jacque Maribe and another suspect in the murder of Monica Kimani are expected to be arraigned tod.. https://t.co/Uw8JAcAlPy
— Breaking News (@News_Kenya) October 1, 2018
Ms Kimani’s body was found in a bathtub at her house in Kilimani, Nairobi, with the throat slit and hands tied at the back.
Mr Irungu, Ms Maribe, and their mutual friend Brian Kassaine, in whose house detectives found a gun hidden in the ceiling, are the suspects in police custody so far.