A Nairobi court was on Tuesday told that a mobile phone belonging to Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam—currently held as evidence by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA)—was allegedly used to solicit bribes.
According to Talaam’s defence team, the device, which was officially handed over to IPOA on June 16, has been at the centre of questionable activity. The court heard claims that an individual identified as Cliff Ombeta was asked to send KSh 80,000 using the same phone, raising serious concerns over the integrity of IPOA’s evidence handling.
“The phone, along with its access credentials, is in IPOA’s custody,” the defence argued. “We are requesting that the IPOA Commissioner be summoned to explain how a secured exhibit could be used to extort money.”
Responding to the revelation, State Prosecutor Victor Awiti acknowledged the gravity of the accusation, stating, “We cannot dismiss these claims outright.” He affirmed that the device, along with other exhibits, was supposed to be in secure storage, and informed the court that the investigating officer had confirmed the phone is currently switched off and safely stored.
Nevertheless, Awiti advised the defence to submit a formal complaint to allow for thorough investigations into the alleged misconduct.
In light of the claims, the court directed the investigating officer to appear before it on Friday to provide a detailed explanation regarding the alleged misuse of the device while under IPOA custody.
By Were Kelly
