Masengeli apologises to court for contempt, vows to comply moving forward
Embattled Deputy Inspector General, Administration Police, Gilbert Masengeli has now apologised to the High Court after being found in contempt of court
Embattled Deputy Inspector General, Administration Police, Gilbert Masengeli has now apologised to the High Court after being found in contempt of court.
Masengeli, who was acting Police Inspector General at the time of the said disappearances, had been sentenced to six months in prison, a sentence which was later suspended for seven days to allow him to purge the contempt.
In an affidavit filed on September 20, 2024, Masengeli admitted to missing court hearings citing operational challenges, including his involvement in security operations in Northern Kenya as well as the Coast region, as the primary reasons for his absence.
He however acknowledged the court’s authority and pledged to cooperate moving forward, including presenting a detailed progress report on the case in the coming days.
“I humbly apologize to this Honourable Court for breaking orders and undertake to comply in the future. The non-attendance in court, however, was not intentional but rather due to operational challenges…” he stated in the affidavit.
The case, which has attracted significant public attention, was initiated after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) filed a petition on behalf of activist Bob Njagi and siblings Jamil Longton and Aslam Longton, who were allegedly kidnapped by people suspected to be police officers in Kitengela on August 19, 2024.
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The LSK secured interim habeas corpus orders on August 23, directing Masengeli to produce the three missing individuals. However, Masengeli failed to comply, leading to his conviction for contempt of court on September 9, 2024.
Masengeli had maintained that investigations were underway to locate the three persons and provided reports on efforts to trace their whereabouts.
He also outlined his non-deliberate absence from court due to critical security operations in Lamu and Marsabit, which he said demanded his presence.
The court, which had expressed concerns over Masengeli’s failure to appear in person despite virtual court options being available, is on Friday expected to review the situation following the Deputy IG’s submission.
Njagi and the Longton brothers have since been found alive and dumped in Kiambu County on Friday morning, just a few hours before Masengeli was expected to appear in court in an attempt to quash his sentencing to jail for contempt.
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