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| Gumo:Bought the vehicle |
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| Moi:Ordered the vehicle |
Police at the Kenyan Coastal City of Mombasa have arrested a kin to the late Drug baron Ibrahim Akasha in connection with the seizure of a RangeRover valued at Shs 18 Million that was stolen from a car selling company CMC in 2008.
Ibrahim Hussein Abdalla was arrested and brought in Nairobi where he was by Sunday,September 09 reported have been interrogated at length by officers from the Flying squad unit on how he stole the top of the range vehicle that had been bought by retired Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi who ruled Kenya for 24 years.
Police said Hassan may be charged in court on Monday,September 10 and they added that they have so far interrogated 5 people over the seizure of the vehicle.
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| Seized vehicle |
This came as Cabinet minister Fred Gumo had recorded a statement with the
police in connection with the recovery of the vehicle.
The car was seized at the CMC workshop on Thursday after it was driven
there by the minister’s driver for service.
Gumo was summoned to CID headquarters, along Kiambu Road where he
recorded a statement regarding the car and left an hour later.
The Local Government minister is said to have told the detectives
handling the case he intended to buy the car from a motor vehicle
dealer based in Nairobi and Mombasa but the seller was yet to give him
the sale papers.
He named the businessman and added he had traded in his car with the
Range Rover but was yet to receive all the documents.
Gumo is said to have said in his statement he has been taking the car
to CMC for service in the past year. He has taken it there four times.
"I dont and did not own the car. Someone wanted to sell it to me but
he had not produced all the documents," he said.
The officers handling the case were yesterday looking for the
businessman as part of their investigations into the case.
The green car had initially been ordered by retired President Moi but
he was yet to take its ownership when it was stolen in November 2008.
Mr Moi said through his press secretary Lee Njiru that he had not
taken possession of the stolen vehicle so he did not own it. CMC also
denied then any vehicle belonging to Moi had been stolen.
CMC group CEO Bill Lay said the vehicle has details that closely match
a top-of-range customized motor vehicle that went missing from their
workshop in 2008.
Lay said the vehicle was impounded following stringent measures tat
had been put in place by the new company management.
The driver of the minister has apparently been bringing the car to the
workshop in the past for normal services but it was not detected as
stolen.
Come Thursday, the driver brought it under different registration
numbers other than the ones that he has been registering it in the
previous service sessions.
It had problems in its ignation key that needed service.
The registration numbers appearing on the insurance sticker were
different from those on the number plate.
It was then that mechanics at the yard fed their data with the ones in
store and realized the car had been noted as stolen.
The driver was asked to explain the owner and mentioned the minister
who has since told police he bought it from a motor dealer who resides
in South C area.
Detectives from Flying Squad led by Nyale Munga arrived at the
workshop and drove with the car to Nairobi Area yard as they announced
they were looking for the dealer alleged to have sold the car to the
minister.
“We are making good progress and we will tell you more soon,” said
Munga last evening adding four people had recorded statements so far.
Mr Lay said they had put in place measures to enhance surveillance by
thoroughly scrutinizing and screening all vehicles that are taken to
the workshop for service and repairs.
“Our suspicion is based on the fact that our diagnostic engine
analysis results closely match the engine details of vehicle earlier
reported missing,” said Lay.
The car had been custom made for the retired president and had been
imported by CMC when it was stolen.
It was stolen from the yard as it waited to be cleared. Then, seven
workers were later arrested and charged with stealing the car.
The theft of teh car must have been done by insiders at the workshop
given the security measures that are at the yard.
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