Kenya: Diplomat Denies Murdering Venezuelan Envoy

The First Secretary at the Venezuelan Embassy in Nairobi Dwight Sagaray has denied murdering his country's ambassador to Kenya, Olga Fonseca.

Sagaray who appeared before Justice Florence Muchemi at the Milimani High Court, pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering the envoy on the night of July 26-27 at her residence in Runda.

Sagaray is facing charges alongside Mohammed Ahmed who is being sought by the police. A warrant for his arrest has been issued by the court.

Last week, police released pictures of Ahmed whom they said had been mentioned in the probe of the envoy's death.

Investigations have shown that he is a close friend of Saragay.

Sagaray will in the meantime be remanded at the Gigiri Police Station as his lawyers prepare to file an application to have him freed on bail.

He was presented in court following the lapse of the six-day period that police were granted last Tuesday to complete investigations into the ambassador's murder.

Last week, Deputy Prosecution Counsel Tabitha Ouya said investigators needed to interrogate more witnesses and were also awaiting the results of DNA samples taken at the crime scene.

Police also said they needed time to conduct an age and mental assessment of the suspect as well as enrich their list of possible witnesses and suspects.

Two guards who were manning the entrance to the home of the slain ambassador were also charged last Tuesday with falling to prevent the crime.

Bernard Owino and Eliud Kimutai who appeared before Chief Magistrate Esther Maina however denied the charge and were released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 each.

The slain envoy had been staying at a hotel and only moved to the embassy's residence in Runda two days before she was killed.

Police said Fonseca, who arrived in Nairobi on July 15, had not been assigned police escort and her home was not guarded by the police.

She is suspected to have been murdered following a power struggle at the embassy.