Man gets 14 years for threatening witness
A man who was charged over the twin terrorist blasts on Thika Road that killed three commuters in 2014 has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for threatening a witness in the case.
Sar Guracha Haro and his son Warque Dejene Sar were acquitted last month with 10 counts of terrorism-related charges, which they were charged with in 2014 but Haro was found guilty of threatening a witness.
The court heard that he told the witness: “I will kill you for testifying against my son.” He will now spend 10 years in prison since he has been in remand for four years.
Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi ruled on Friday that witness intimidation is a fundamental threat to the rule of law and must be discouraged by all means.
“When people get into the habit of threatening witnesses and thereby deterring them into giving testimony criminal justice system will wither and die away slowly,” ruled the Magistrate.
“Laws will be broken with impunity and other people will commit crime with the comfort that nobody will testify against them.
A deterrent sentence is, therefore, needed. I have looked at presentencing report and find that the issues indicated therein are extremely serious,” ruled the Magistrate.
Last Month, the Magistrate acquitted Haro and his son over terrorism related charges because of lack of evidence that implicates them.
Sar Guracha Haro and his son, Warque Dejene Sar, had been accused of blowing up two buses on the Thika Superhighway on May 4, 2014. The incident left three victims dead and at least 50 people injured.
One of the explosives went off outside the Blue Springs Hotel, whereas the second blast occurred at the Kasarani underpass. The two were, consequently, arrested and charged on suspicion of being behind the twin blasts.
The charge sheet further showed that the suspects were accused of soliciting and receiving Sh85,000 to facilitate the terror attacks.
