Police deny claims of existence of death squad
The National Police Service has denied claims that it runs a secret programme for execution of terrorism suspects.
Reacting to allegations contained by a documentary aired by Al Jazeera, outgoing Inspector-General David Kimaiyo Tuesday said “persons masquerading to be officers cannot therefore purport the existence of the same”.
“The NPS operates within the framework of the Constitution,” he said in a statement read to journalists by police spokesperson Gatiria Mboroki.
He said the police service performed its mandate with a “strict observance of human rights and dignity of each and every individual, criminal or otherwise”.
Al-Jazeera, an international network, on Monday night aired an exposé in which some people it identifies as Kenyan security officers confess to have been executing terrorism suspects.
TRAINED BY FOREIGN AGENCIES
The interviewees say they were trained by foreign security agencies, among them the British MI5 and Mossad of Israel.
The documentary was also uploaded on the Internet.
An officer says they were responsible for many executions, including that of Sheikh Abubakar Shariff alias Makaburi.
The UK government too has denied the accusations.
UK’s High Commission in Nairobi said while it had been supporting Kenya’s fight against terrorism, it was doing so within the borders of international human rights law.
“All our support to the Anti-Terrorist Police Unit (ATPU) is delivered in line with HMG’s (Her Majesty’s Government) Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance in order to mitigate the risk of human rights violations,” said Stephen Burns, the head of communication for UK missions in Kenya and Somalia.
“The UK regularly monitors the ATPU to ensure compliance with human rights standards and challenge them where allegations are made.
“If there is credible evidence that our support is being misused, we will take immediate action,” he said.
NOT POLICE OFFICERS
In Nairobi, Ms Mboroki said preliminary investigations, including a review of records at the General Service Unit, had shown that those interviewed by Al Jazeera were not police officers.
“It is inconceivable that any of our officers would go what is expected of them.
“No officer can break the law knowingly or unknowingly and get away with it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Information Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i yesterday met the Qatari-based TV network’s chiefs to register Kenya’s protest.
Dr Matiang’i, who was in Doha to attend a conference, met Al-Jazeera chief executive officer and the director in charge of investigations.
Credit: Daily Nation
