Kenyan police officers taken off Alexander Monson case

Three Kenyan police officers who were on duty the morning that a British aristocrat’s son died have been withdrawn from the case amid allegations of assault while he was in police custody, senior sources have said.

Three Kenyan police officers who were on duty the morning that a British aristocrat’s son died have been withdrawn from the case amid allegations of assault while he was in police custody, senior sources have said.
Mr Monson was the son of Nicholas, the 12th Baron Monson of Burton Credit: Photo: EPA

Alexander Monson died from a massive blood clot on his brain after he was arrested on Kenya's coast last month.

Investigators are looking into allegations that the former Marlborough College pupil was hit on the head during the nine hours he was in custody before he was taken to hospital. He died later the same day.

A corporal and two police constables understood to be at the centre of the case had been "withdrawn from active duty" and were no longer at the Diani Police Station, where Mr Monson was taken after his arrest, The Daily Telegraph was told.

"One of them was responsible for hitting Alexander, and the others we are told were also involved," said a source with close connections to individuals involved in the case.

"He was not resisting and he was not violent. The three men are not on the case anymore and there are plans to move them from the police station."

It was not immediately clear if the men would be moved to other active duty elsewhere in Kenya, or would be suspended for the duration of the investigation.

Mr Monson was the son of Nicholas, the 12th Baron Monson of Burton.

Lord Monson has received assurances from senior Kenyan politicians, including George Saitoti, the internal security minister, that his son's death would be thoroughly investigated.

But police sources have said that the investigation is already "finalised" into how Mr Monson died within hours of being arrested, for smoking cannabis.

"The team has finalised its investigation and recommendation made", a police officer "privy to the inquiry" told Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper.

"The suspect was booked appearing normal and our report has proved police officers had collaborated with some prisoners in custody to torture the suspect.

"The information about Mr Monson is a top secret and is being handled by very few officers who have access to the Occurrence Book (OB), which all suspects are booked for criminal cases."

It is unlikely that Mr Monson's family will be satisfied with explanations that place the blame for his injuries on other arrested men detained with him, after repeated reports that police officers themselves were responsible.

Ambrose Munyasia, head of the Criminal Investigations Department in Mombasa, the provincial headquarters for Kenya's coast, refused to comment last night.

Other police spokesmen could not be reached, but they have consistently denied that any officer assaulted Mr Monson.

Mr Monson had lived in Kenya for four years with his mother, who is separated from his father, and had recently established two business with a close friend.

More than 200 people flew from four continents for his memorial service ten days ago, which was held at his mother's property on the Indian Ocean south of Diani.

The town is one of Kenya's most popular beach resorts, but there have been regular complaints that corrupt police officers arrest tourists for minor crimes and then attempt to extort bribes. Police commanders deny this.