Kenya: FBI agents fail to attend Fr Kaiser inquest for second time

For the second time this month, three senior officers of the American FBI have failed to show up at the inquest of Fr John Anthony Kaiser to testify. The three: Tom Neer, a specialist in behavioural analysis, Dr Vincent Di Maio, a forensic specialist and Bill Corbett, a counter terrorism specialist: were first lined up to testify on March 5, but failed to show up.

This time, the FBI senior officers communicated to the court, through Attorney General's Office, that the earliest they come to Nairobi would be May. Addressing the court, Senior Counsel Office of Attorney General, James Warui said: "they have written to us and have said the earliest time they could make to Nairobi would be May".

He then said: "Dr Vincent Di Maio called me today, saying he did not want to travel to Africa for this business to testify at late Fr Kaiser's inquest." In response, Principal Magistrate, Mrs Maureen Odero said, the sitting court was tired of waiting for witnesses, who continue to make new dates without honouring them. She said she would make her ruling on the issue, when the court resumes on March 23.

In his address, lawyer Mbuthi Gathenji, representing FR Kaiser's family, the Catholic Church and the Mill Hill Fathers, described the failure of FBI organization to dispatch its officers to testify at the inquiry commission as contempt of this court and the country at large. He applied to the court to have Francis Sang, investigating officer and Inspector Tomas Mage, summoned at the inquest.

The two worked closely with the FBI investigating officers, who concluded that Fr Kaiser killed himself, an issue both the family and the Catholic Church in Kenya have highly contested, re explained. In an interview with this writer, Mr Gathenji said the two could have knowledge of one or mare issues that he would like to clarify due to their centrality in the first investigation. Mr Gathenji also said that apart from coming to witness, the FBI were supposed to return back some of the vital exhibits like the ballistic report, they are still holding.

He said that the Defence would use what he described as Plan B if the FBI totally fails to show up at the inquest. "We still hold quite unexploited area on the issue, if it turns out that the FBI, which we consider as vital witnesses don't show up to Nairobi to testify." Mill Hill missionary John Kaiser, 67, from Perham Minnesota, was found dead on August 24, 2000 besides his pick-up truck near the Kenyan town of Naivasha.

In 2001, the former Kenyan government and the US FBI concluded that Father Kaiser "most likely committed suicide." Many people discounted this theory, and currently the new Kenyan government is holding a special inquest into his death.