The Kenyan police were tricked into shooting journalist Arshad Sharif, who they thought was involved in a motor vehicle theft, claimed former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko.

“Arshad Sharif was being trailed by a Pakistani killer squad because of an investigation,” he said in a Facebook post written in English and Swahili, the Kenyan media’s K24TV reported. “The investigation was allegedly going to expose a money-laundering syndicate that operates car showrooms in Nairobi and Mombasa.”

Arshad, who left the country in August this year, was killed on Sunday night in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. The National Police Service admitted that the journalist was shot by police in a “case of mistaken identity” after the local cops in Magadi received a circular from Pangani Police Station.

Sonko alleged that the money-laundering syndicate involved Pakistani politicians and members of the country’s “deep state”.

“The late Arshad Sharif was a wanted man in Pakistan and the killer squad, deep state and the system of Pakistan were pursuing him wherever he was going. He was about to release a documentary entitled ‘Behind closed doors’ which was implicating how Pakistan politicians and members of the Pakistan deep state and system launder money using international financial systems,” it said.

He described the Kenyan policemen as “innocent” as they were instructed through a police radio that a stolen vehicle was travelling towards Magadi and that the occupants were “armed and very dangerous”.

“The cops, who were manning the roadblock where the vehicle carrying the Pakistani journalist was shot at, had no option but to open fire because they believed they were stopping dangerous individuals from fleeing,” the post said.

He described the policemen, who opened fire, as “innocent and junior” they had no choice other than to shot in view of the past terrorist attacks.

‘Tainted’ personality of Sonko

Sonko, who claimed that the Kenyan government and police should not be blamed for the killing, was removed from the office of the governor by a form of impeachment by the Senate of Kenya on abuse of Office, Gross Misconduct, and Crimes under the National Law on December 17, 2020.

The US State Department this year in March designated Sonko due to his involvement in significant corruption. “While in office, Governor Sonko solicited bribes and kickbacks in exchange for awarding government contracts to his associates,” said the statement.

The designation was made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021. “Under this authority, designated officials of foreign governments involved in significant corruption and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.”

The state department had also announced the designation of the following members of Sonko’s wife and daughters.