British man Campbell Scott, 58, was found dead in a sack filled with pineapples in Kenya’s Makongo forest after being reported missing by his work colleagues
Two suspects have been hauled before the court over the ghastly murder of Scots businessman Campbell Scott, whose body was found abandoned in a sack in the Kenyan wilderness.
The 58-year-old was discovered by a local cattle herder within the dense Makongo forest, roughly 60 miles from his accommodation in Nairobi last month. Grimly, the body bore marks of violence, with ropes constricted his wrists and ankles, and his hands had sustained obvious wounds.
Following weeks of investigation, two men suspected of his murder, Alex Mutua Kithuka and Albunus Mutinda Nziokim, appeared in court on Monday before Magistrate Lukas Onyina. Investigators believe Scott was taken to Matua’s house in Nairobi where he was murdered, the court heard.
The alleged killers tried to make transactions with Mr. Scott’s credit cards across different locations including Nairobi, Voi, and Mombasa. Their trail came to a halt on March 1 following their apprehension on the road connecting Nairobi and Mombasa, where it was established that the first suspect had already moved his belongings out of the address.
The pair will be remanded in custody for 21 days to allow police to conclude investigations. They will reappear in the dock on March 21, reports the Daily Record.
The court was told: “His phone and credit cards are yet to be recovered. Due to the seriousness of the case, the applicant is apprehensive that if released on bail at this time, they will not attend court.”
It comes after cops arrested another prime suspect on Sunday. He was reportedly apprehended in Mombasa after weeks of evading authorities.
Investigators have disclosed that the suspect in Mr Scott’s alleged murder had been evading capture since February 18. Two individuals, a taxi driver and a waiter, were initially detained last week but have since been exonerated. They are now regarded as witnesses following their release without charge over the weekend.
Authorities suspect at least two more accomplices are still at large, possibly hidden away in Nairobi or Mombasa. Although the arrest was termed a significant lead by homicide detectives, they have yet to reveal the motive behind the purported crime.
The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohamed Amin, told the Eastleigh Voice: “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.”
Meanwhile, a set of toxicology tests will go underway after Mr Scott’s post-mortem results returned inconclusive last week. Medics were left baffled over the cause of Mr Scott’s death as the post-mortem revealed blows to his head, as well as other injuries, would not have been enough to kill him.
Speaking on NTV Kenya, local reporter Katherine Mwando said: “Sources close to the investigation said 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 Nairobi, the last location he was seen alive. His injuries may not have been from a violent attack. Officials have taken further samples from the body including a toxicology report.”
Mr Scott had arrived in Kenya on February 15 for a three-day conference with his employer FICO, where he held the position of senior director.
Concerns were raised by his colleagues when he didn’t return to his hotel after an evening out at a bar with a friend. It’s believed that his family flew into Kenya last week as investigations into his death continue.
