A man is standing trial on the charge of drowning a compatriot by forcing his head in the sea waters. However, the 30-year-old Kenyan defendant claimed he was just playing and was under the influence of alcohol.
He denied a premeditated murder charge in the Court of First Instance. He is also accused of consuming alcohol without a licence.
Two other Kenyans, aged 30 and 25, are accused of failing to report the crime that happened on January 22.
"The incident was first reported as an accident but later a 54-year-old Italian restaurant owner, for whom the victim worked, told us that he suspected it was an intentional drowning as the victim's friend told him," a police lieutenant said.
The police spoke to one of the victim's female relatives and learnt he was with the three accused and two women.
"They all denied knowing anything about the matter. However, the victim's friend told us, quoting the third accused, that the main defendant drowned the victim by forcibly putting his head in the water for more than once. It was like that until the victim disappeared in the water."
The police learnt that the main defendant left the beach leaving his belongings behind. "We learnt that he told the victim's friends that he did not know anything about the victim's whereabouts," the police officer added.
Several mutual friends told the police that the defendant and the victim had previous disputes and that the defendant had threatened to hurt the victim.
During the questioning, the main accused claimed he was playing with the victim by putting his head in the water. "He claimed when the victim disappeared, he got scared and returned to the beach. He did not call for help."
The defendant confessed to the police he had threatened to kill the victim but claimed it was in an instant of rage.
The victim's friend, a 27-year-old Kenyan cook, said that the third accused told them about the intentional drowning. "He told us he saw the main accused putting the victim's head in the water."
According to the forensic doctor, the victim died because of drowning. The alcohol was high in his system to an extent to make him lose balance, perception and reaction ability.
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