Senior police officer arrested for selling impounded vehicle
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Karen police commander Purity Kobia arrested for allegedly stealing and selling impounded vehicle
Karen police commander Purity Kobia arrested for allegedly stealing and selling impounded vehicle.
Karen Police Station Commander Purity Kobia was Friday arrested by detectives from the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) for allegedly stealing and auctioning a motor vehicle that had been detained at her station.
Kobia was however released on police cash bail of Sh10,000 pending arraignment on April 17.
She was processed at the Capitol Hill police station, IAU officials said.
This is after the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) directed IAU to proceed and charge the Chief inspector of police with among others conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 393 of the Penal Code, stealing a motor vehicle contrary to section 278 of the Penal Code, false swearing contrary to section 114 of the Penal Code and abuse of office contrary to section 101(1) of the Penal Code.
The police officer was investigated by IAU following a complaint filed against her by Siama Rahma that she disposed her motor vehicle, a Mazda demio through a public auction without following due procedures.
Rahma first reported the case to Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) but the officers there opened and closed the investigation file, claiming that the OCS did nothing wrong.
The action by IPOA to clear the OCS without conducting thorough probe forced Rahma to run to IAU and ODPP for help.
The ODPP on receipt of the complaint directed the IAU to commence inquiry into the allegations against OCS Kobia and, on completion, submit findings for their action.
“The vehicle, a Mazda Demio, had been detained at the station after it was involved in an accident in October 2021 but was released illegally and sold in 2022 through a public auction and without following due process,” a statement from ODPP read in part.
The vehicle, valued at Sh600,000, was sold for only Sh50,000 under the orders of Kobia.
The complainant said she had made multiple attempts to recover her vehicle but was asked to pay an amount she couldn’t raise until July 2022, when she noticed her car was missing at the station.
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Rahma said that she spotted her car in mid-2023 around Yaya Centre being driven by an officer.
“I reported the matter to traffic officers who were on duty in the area, who referred me to the Kilimani police station to avail my ownership documents,” the report by ODPP added.
She added that when she went to the station, calls were made to the OCS, and the car was granted to the officer, and she was banned from going back to the station.
The report further adds that attempts to recover the vehicle were futile.
The complainant told the unit that the OCS and the Inspector have since avoided her calls and frustrated her efforts, forcing her to file an official complaint against the station with the IAU in November last year.
The unit investigated the matter to its logical conclusion and forwarded the file to the ODPP for directions.
On February 5, 2024, the ODPP through the IAU, granted the OCS and her accomplices 30 days to compensate the complainant, failure to which they would be charged.
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