The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has approached the court to request the detention of a police officer linked to the fatal shooting of a taxi driver in Garissa.
In their court application on Friday, May 22, IPOA expressed apprehensions that the officer might tamper with witnesses while attempting to avoid accountability.
The authority contended that granting bail to the officer would jeopardize the ongoing investigation, suggesting a possibility of him tampering with evidence.
IPOA is now requesting the court to keep the officer in custody as the probe into the deadly shooting proceeds.
This action by IPOA follows a day after the case was postponed, with the court permitting the accused to obtain legal counsel before entering a plea.
On Thursday, May 21, however, the court disclosed that the police officer would face manslaughter charges.
The incident originated when the police officer reportedly shot the 22-year-old taxi driver and subsequently fled the location.
IPOA also disclosed that the accused had abandoned his responsibilities for more than 15 days before reappearing.
The deceased, Aden Mohamed, was purportedly summoned by his two acquaintances on that tragic day at approximately 2 am.
The two individuals were at the Modika roadblock, leading them to contact Mohamed to assist in their release.
Witness accounts indicate that upon reaching the location, a dispute arose between Mohamed and the police officer, who then shot him at point-blank range in the head.
Mohammed subsequently died from his injuries as the police officer escaped the scene.