Has DCI finally stopped sharing suspects’ mugshots?
For months the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has ignored an order by the High Court delivered on December 6, 2018 barring the then Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet and DCI boss George Kinoti’s office from posting mugshots of suspects on social media before they are arraigned in court.
Questions have been raised following the continued posting of suspects’ mugshots on social media despite the order, but in the last week there has been a change.
On the several occasions that the DCI has shared an arrest of a suspect on social media, the agency has been using a generic picture instead of the photos of the arrested suspects.
CONTEMPT OF COURT
In December, activists, through Bunge la Mwananchi President Henry Shitanda, moved to court seeking to have the DCI boss and former IG jailed for six months for contempt of a court order.
High Court Judge Wilfrida Okwany issued the orders after Mr Shitanda, seeking to have the two institutions stopped from posting suspects’ photos on social media.
In his petition, Mr Shitanda argued that posting of suspects’ photos online before they are charged in court is an infringement of their rights.
The DCI and the National Police Service have been sharing photos of suspects online following arrests.