The suspect was arrested Sunday in Mombasa, Kenya and is believed to have been hiding in the town since the murder of Scott Campbell, 58, last month, Kenyan police said
Police in Kenya have arrested a suspect in the murder of British businessman Scott Campbell.
The body of Scottish businessman Campbell, 58, was found in a sack of pineapples by a herdsman. His was found on February 22 with his hands tied and in a forest roughly 66 miles southeast of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Campbell appeared to have been tortured, a local official said, and police think he was held captive in a house before his body was transported. His body was identified on February 24.
He was last seen alive attending a conference at the JW Marriot Hotel in Nairobi on February 16. A National Police Service spokesman described it as a “heinous, heinous crime” and said it is an “intricate and complex” investigation which is now being led by the specialist unit.
The police spokesperson said: “It’s really tragic, but we’re all told that the authorities are going to get to the bottom of this. We are confident somebody will be held accountable for this.”
Thomas Maitha, a local administrator and Kivani location chief, previously told Kenya’s The Standard newspaper: “He appeared to have been tortured. The body, which was in bad state, prompted us to escalate the matter further. In addition to the physical injuries, the killer(s) had tied his hands from the back, and stuffed the body in the sack which had been packed with ripe pineapples.”
A post-mortem was unable to determine the cause of death. Campbell had soft tissue injuries, but these were considered to be too minor to be fatal.
Further tests have been sought and initial police thoughts that Campbell was hit with a blunt object or strangled have not been confirmed. Kenyan TV channel NTV Tonight reported: “Sources close to the investigation said that Scott may not have been murdered, but rather may have suffered complications after consuming a performance enhancing pill. He may have developed these complications while at Pipeline Estate in Nairobi, the last location he was seen alive.”
Suspect arrested
The suspect was arrested in the town of Mombasa on Sunday. He is expected to appear in court today as police ask for an extension in their detainment.
Mohamed Amin, Kenya’s Director of Criminal Investigations, said: “We have a prime suspect in the murder of Scott. The hunt for more suspects is ongoing. We hope to get more suspects involved in this callous murder.”
Two further alleged accomplices are being pursued by police. They are believed to be hiding in Nairobi or Mombasa
The investigation
Campbell was due to attend the JW Marriott for a conference. After he arrived, hew as seen in CCTV footage going to the Havana Bar nearby.
Kenyan media reports that he met a man who detectives later fingered as a person of interest. Campbell went back to the bar to meet him the following day and the man booked a taxi which the Scot then entered.
The taxi driver, who took the pair to the Pipeline estate, was arrested along with a waiter. Both of them havenow been ruled out as suspects.
Campbell, believed to be from Dunfermline, was a was a senior director at credit scoring firm Fico.. A Fico spokesperson said: “We are devastated by this tragic news. Campbell was a leader in our international Scores business. He joined Fico in 2014 and was instrumental in introducing Scores to new markets and growing our business with existing partnerships. We mourn his passing and will miss his humour and kindness. Our thoughts are with Campbell’s family and friends.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson previously said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Kenya and are in contact with the local authorities.”