Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NAIROBI550
2006-02-08 07:03:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:  

UPDATE: EXTRADITION OF KAROLI MULIRO

Tags:  CJAN CVIS KCRM SNAR KE 
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UNCLAS NAIROBI 000550 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, L/LEI FOR D. BUCHHOLZ
AND K. MUELLER, DOJ/OIA FOR P. ROWAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CJAN CVIS KCRM SNAR KE
SUBJECT: UPDATE: EXTRADITION OF KAROLI MULIRO

REF: A. (A) STATE 17590


B. (B) 05 STATE 227184

C. (C) 05 STATE 180672

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000550

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, L/LEI FOR D. BUCHHOLZ
AND K. MUELLER, DOJ/OIA FOR P. ROWAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CJAN CVIS KCRM SNAR KE
SUBJECT: UPDATE: EXTRADITION OF KAROLI MULIRO

REF: A. (A) STATE 17590


B. (B) 05 STATE 227184

C. (C) 05 STATE 180672


1. (U) This is an action cable - action request para 5.


2. (SBU) Post has engaged directly with the Director of
Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriakio Tobiko, and held lengthy
discussions with the case prosecutor, Horace Okumo,
concerning the U.S. extradition request for Karoli Muliro to
stand trial in Massachusetts. Post first engaged the Kenyan
government on the day of Muliro's release (December 28). Well
before receipt of ref A, Post sent a diplomatic note of
protest on December 30. In addition, Post has also spoken
with the magistrate who acceded to Okumo's request to
withdraw the state's bid for extradition.


3. (SBU) The issue appears to rest on confusion between
Kenyan law and U.S. law and the types of crimes covered by
the extradition treaty. The exact charge Muliro is facing,
"vehicular homicide while under the influence," does not
exist as such in Kenyan law. While both manslaughter and
homicide do exist and are extraditable, homicide while
driving a motor vehicle is technically not an offense covered
by Kenyan law. The Traffic Act has a separate charge for
manslaughter while under the influence. This case has also
suffered from an inter-ministerial communication problem, as
the police arrested Muliro on the basis of the Embassy's
October 7 diplomatic note without waiting for the proper
legal arrest order from the Attorney General or DPP.


4. (SBU) Post has made clear that we do not understand the
reason for the termination of the proceedings (the prosecutor
told us he feared losing the case; the judge told us
subsequently all appeared in order). We have also asked that
Muliro be rearrested as a flight risk. Okumo stated he simply
needs confirmation from Massachusetts authorities that the
crime alleged to have been committed matches crimes in Kenya
and is covered by the extradition treaty. With those
assurances in hand, he stated, Kenya would both rearrest and
pursue extradition. DPP Tobiko has provided similar
assurances.


5. (SBU) In late January, Post placed prosecutor Okumo in
direct email contact with the prosecutor in Massachusetts. We

do not know, however, the result of their conversations.
ACTION REQUEST: Post would appreciate information as to the
status of efforts to provide Okumo informally with what he
seeks before we again submit a diplomatic note. In
particular, we would appreciate any information regarding the
precise information that Okumo requires to proceed with
Muliro's extradition. Please advise.


6. (U) Text of diplomatic note previously submitted follows,
for Washington's information:
(No. 1748, December 30, 2005)

The Embassy of the United States of America presents
its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Kenya and wishes to make renewed reference to the
Extradition Treaty between the United States and the United
Kingdom of December 22, 1931, made applicable to Kenya by
exchange of notes dated May 14 and August 19, 1965, and
entered into force on August 19, 1965. The Embassy requests
that the Government of Kenya, specifically the Attorney
General of the Republic of Kenya, take any and all steps
necessary to effect the immediate arrest and extradition of
KAROLI MULIRO. In this regard, we also wish to make renewed
reference to Diplomatic Note No. 1433, of October 7, 2005.
Mr. Muliro,s case was terminated in the High Court of
Kenya on December 28, 2005, at the previous request of the
Office of the Attorney General. While the Embassy has yet to
be formally notified of this action by Kenyan authorities,
the Embassy was informed informally that the basis for this
termination rested on two conclusions reached:

1. Failure of the Kenyan Police to follow proper
procedures: &Order from the proper Ministry.8

2. The offense Muliro is charged with does not meet the
elements agreed upon between the United States and Kenya for
extradition.

The Embassy requests that the Government of Kenya re-visit
this issue urgently on the basis of the following
information, which does not appear to have been taken into
consideration in reaching these conclusions:
On October 24, 2005, the Minister of Home Affairs sent a
letter to the Commissioner of Police, Kenya Police
Headquarters, MFA.390/420/002A. In this letter the Permanent
Secretary, D.C. Kitogho, referenced the United States request

SIPDIS
for the arrest and extradition of KAROLI MULIRO. Mr. Kitogho
instructs the Kenyan Police to, &Kindly and urgently respond
as you may wish to investigate.8 Based upon this response
from the Permanent Secretary Kitogho, the Kenya Police CID
located and arrested Mr. Karoli. The letter from the
Permanent Secretary was in response to our Diplomatic Note
No. 1433, dated October 7, 2005. A copy of the letter from
the Permanent Secretary is enclosed (as Exhibit A). A copy of
the Diplomatic Note is also enclosed(Exhibit B).
In response to the issue of Mr. Karoli being charged in the
United States for an offense that arguably does not meet the
specification set out in the extradition treaty, the Embassy
draws attention to a previous case heard in the Chief
Magistrate,s Court at Nairobi, Misc. Case No. 22 of 1986. In
this case, THOMAS ANTONY WILLIAMSON was brought before the
court after being arrested under a provisional warrant in
pursuance of a warrant of arrest issued in California for the
offense of manslaughter and driving under the influence. In
this case Chief Magistrate H.H. Buch ruled the following:
&Upon being satisfied as to the identity of the prisoner to
be that of the person required by the Department of State,
United States of America for the alleged offense of
Manslaughter which is an extraditable one and upon being
satisfied with all documents produced in support, I now order
that the prisoner Thomas Antony Williamson upon completion of
his current term of imprisonment, be handed over to Interpol
Section of Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters,
Nairobi for the purpose of extradition to United States of
America as requested.8

This order was signed by Chief Magistrate H.H. Buch on May 5,

1986. A copy of this ruling is enclosed (Exhibit C).
Additionally, regardless of any specific actions or inactions
by the Kenya Police, presently there is an active Interpol
Red Notice (Control No.: A-2049/12-2005) for the arrest,
pending extradition, of KAROLI MULIRO. Kenya,s membership in
Interpol and the issuance of the Red Notice alone provide
Kenyan law enforcement authorities with all the legal basis
necessary to arrest Mr. Muliro. As Interpol,s website notes,
Red Notices &serve to communicate to the world,s police
that a suspect is wanted by a member country and request that
the suspect be placed under provisional arrest pending
extradition.8 A copy of the Red Notice for Mr. Muliro,s
arrest is enclosed (Exhibit D).
Presently a Diplomatic Note, No. 1710, conveying the original
&Request for Extradition8 from the United States of America
is in the hands of the Office of the Minister of Home Affairs
awaiting delivery to the court. This official request was
hand-delivered by U.S. Embassy courier on December 21, 2005.
The Embassy requests that the Ministry of Home Affairs
expedite this request so that the United States can fulfill
all the obligations set forth in our Extradition Treaty. A
copy of this Diplomatic Note and the Request for Extradition
has also been enclosed (Exhibit E). A complete copy of the
documents in support of this request are attached to the
original request that is now in the hands of your Minister of
Home Affairs.
Finally, the Embassy notes with dismay that its officers were
never approached for clarification on either of the
conclusions said to have been the basis for the decision to
not pursue extradition. Indeed, both American and Kenyan
employees of the U.S. Embassy had gone to the Court to attend
the extradition hearing scheduled for December 28 (where such
issues were to have been discussed before and decided by the
judge) -- only to learn then that the State had unilaterally
withdrawn its case days earlier.
Given his record of having already fled the U.S. jurisdiction
(despite having posted bail and being ordered not to depart),
his years as a fugitive in Kenya, his pattern of
international travel to Uganda from Kenya, and the Kenyan
court,s decision to previously withhold his passport, we
continue to believe Mr. Muliro poses a significant flight
risk. We therefore seek that Kenya authorities move with
dispatch to arrest Mr. Muliro at this time.
In conclusion, the Embassy renews its request for the
immediate arrest of Mr. Karoli Muliro pending extradition. As
the Embassy has never been informed officially to the
contrary, we also consider the original Request for
Extradition contained in Diplomatic Note No. 1710 as still
currently valid and of full force and effect. We request
immediate notification if the Government of Kenya believes to
the contrary. We ask that the materials in Diplomatic Note
No. 1710 be presented to appropriate court authorities as
soon as possible and that the Embassy be provided
confirmation of the delivery of said documents. As always,
the Embassy stands ready to assist Kenyan authorities in any
and all stages of this process. We also formally offer to
assist the competent Kenyan authorities in establishing a
clear and streamlined process for assuring smooth execution
of provisional arrest and extradition requests, in either
direction, between our two countries.
The Embassy of the United States of America avails itself of
this opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Republic of Kenya the assurances of its highest
consideration.

Enclosure:
Documents &A8 through &E8 as described in text.

Embassy of the United States of America,
Nairobi, 30 December 2005.



BELLAMY