This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
On September 3, 2019, a dramatic turn of events unfolded in the Dennis Itumbi forgery case. Samwel Gateri, a key witness, appeared before court, seeking to withdraw from the case.
Gateri cited death threats and ill treatment from the DCI, which made him, a state witness, put his life and that of his family members at risk by getting involved in the case.
Further, Gateri told the court that the DCI had been forcing him to make a confession, admitting that he personally knew Itumbi and Deputy President Ruto. This, he claimed, was against his faith and infringed his rights.
However, the DCI distanced itself from Gateri's accusations, describing them as ill-informed and misleading. The DCI also denied recognizing Gateri as a witness in the criminal case against Itumbi.
Moreover, the DCI clarified that Samwel Gateri is a suspect under investigation, not a witness as earlier claimed. Dennis Itumbi is accused of authoring a letter detailing a plot to assassinate Deputy President William Ruto.
