Latest reports reaching KSB say that Rapper Billy Boy has been released from police custody. According to a police Officer who communicated with KSB, the Rapper was released on Sunday evening although it was still not clear whether any charges had been preferred against him.
The Rapper was released after the Kenya Red Alliance intervened and demanded that the Rapper be provided with a lawyer after he was held for more than 6 hours without charge. Consequently, KRA recommended a lawyer who will take up the case if it comes up in court. According to Swedish law, a person cannot be held for more than six hours without charge unless the suspect faces a very serious offence which may require lengthy investigations.
Billy was arrested as a result of an alleged fracas whose details remain unclear. Holding him in custody for more than six hours without charge was legally untenable because the case is not complicated and may not require any “further investigations”.
If police needed any further investigation, what is required, according to the Swedish law, is that Billy engage a lawyer to hold brief for him during investigation, a process that could be done when Billy had regained his freedom.
Once a lawyer was recommended for Billy, police had no more reason to hold the Rapper in custody and he was released. Billy had insisted that police alert a leading KRA official that he had been taken into custody, a plea that was granted after he gave contacts of the official. KSB is following the case.
Okoth Osewe
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