National Police Service employee under probe for allegedly issuing fake gun licenses

A civilian staff member at the headquarters of the National Police Service (NPS) is under investigation for allegedly issuing fake firearm certificates to licensed gun holders.

Geoffrey Mali Otsieno was arrested on September 6 on suspicion of producing counterfeit firearm cards, certificates, and renewal receipts. The alleged scheme came to light when a firearm holder presented a forged licence for renewal at the Firearms Licensing Board (FLB).

According to investigators, the firearm holder, identified as ODH, had applied for a corporate licence for her tourist services company. In court documents filed at Makadara Law Courts, Senior Resident Magistrate Wandia Nyamu heard that Major Murunga, a licensing officer at the FLB, detected anomalies in the renewal receipts submitted.

Preliminary investigations established that Otsieno, a civilian employee of the NPS, had posed as a police officer at the FLB and offered to assist ODH with her licence renewal in exchange for payment.

It was later confirmed that he was not a police officer but an administrative staffer at police headquarters. An affidavit sworn by Kennedy Murunga of the Serious Crimes Unit revealed that Otsieno is suspected of issuing other firearm holders with fake certificates, cards, and renewal receipts. The matter was first reported on August 29.

Investigators are yet to record comprehensive statements from key witnesses, and officer Murunga requested 14 days to complete the probe.

Defence lawyers Danstan Omari and Shadrack Wambui, representing Otsieno, argued that their client did not need to be held in custody, stressing that he was arrested at his permanent residence in front of his family and posed no flight risk.

They further noted that conspiracy to defraud is punishable by a fine and reminded the court of constitutional protections for criminal suspects under investigation.

The court granted Otsieno a bond of Sh500,000 or an alternative cash bail of Sh200,000.

He was ordered to present himself to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) when required, cooperate fully with the ongoing investigations, and surrender his digital passwords to help establish whether he acted in collusion with others.