Former British soldier contests extradition over alleged Kenya murder

The UK’s National Crime Agency says fishy was a erstwhile worker who was arrested connected Thursday by specializer officers.

A erstwhile British worker wanted by Kenyan authorities has appeared successful a London tribunal aft being arrested successful transportation with the alleged execution of a pistillate adjacent a UK service grooming campy successful the East African state much than a decennary ago.

In September, Kenya issued an apprehension warrant and requested the extradition of a British national implicit the execution of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru adjacent a UK service grooming campy successful 2012, a lawsuit which has strained relations betwixt the 2 countries.

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Wanjiru was recovered successful a septic vessel astatine the Lion’s Court Hotel successful the Kenyan municipality of Nanyuki successful 2012, having past been seen astatine the edifice with a radical of British soldiers.

A Kenyan magistrate concluded successful an inquest successful 2019 that she had been murdered by the soldiers, and successful September, Kenya made a ceremonial petition to extradite a suspect.

The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said the fishy was a erstwhile worker who was arrested connected Thursday by specializer officers aft the warrant was issued.

“Robert James Purkiss, 38, appeared astatine Westminster Magistrates’ Court contiguous for extradition proceedings to begin,” the NCA said connected Friday.

“He was remanded into custody until his adjacent quality astatine the aforesaid tribunal connected November 14.”

The hold successful securing justness has sparked outrage successful Kenya, with Wanjiru’s household and rights groups arguing that the killers were being shielded by a defence practice statement that complicates the prosecution of British soldiers grooming successful Kenya.

Wanjiru, the azygous parent of a past four-month-old baby, was beaten and stabbed, and was astir apt inactive live erstwhile she was thrown into the septic tank, a magistrate said successful the 2019 inquest report.

Purkiss’s lawyer David Josse said that his lawsuit “vehemently denies” execution and that helium has received backing from the UK’s Ministry of Defence to wage for his defence.

The lawsuit was a root of contention betwixt Kenyan authorities and the UK’s erstwhile Conservative government, and was successful limbo for years.

Purkiss, a joined begetter of two, told Westminster Magistrates’ Court successful London that helium did not consent to being extradited, the Press Association quality bureau reported.

The Labour party, which removed the Conservatives from powerfulness successful a July predetermination past year, has promised to enactment the Kenyan probe and “secure a solution to this case”.

Since Kenya gained independency successful 1963, the UK has kept a imperishable service basal adjacent Nanyuki, astir 200 kilometres (125 miles) northbound of the superior Nairobi.

The British Army Training Unit successful Kenya is an economical lifeline for galore successful Nanyuki but has faced disapproval implicit allegations of misconduct by its soldiers, arsenic good arsenic the maiming of civilians by unexploded ordnance.