Kenya police make three more arrests in Venezuela diplomat murder

File photo of a hearse carrying the body of Venezuela's embassy's slain charge d'affaires Olga Fonseca leaveing her residence at the Runda neighbourhood in Kenya's capital Nairobi July 27, 2012.

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan police have arrested three more suspects in connection with the murder of a Venezuelan diplomat in the capital Nairobi in July, a senior officer said on Thursday.

Olga Fonseca, Venezuela's acting ambassador and charge d'affaires, was found strangled in her bedroom less than two weeks into her posting, which followed the abrupt departure of the previous ambassador after he was accused by his domestic staff of sexual harassment.

"We have arrested three suspects including one Kenyan and two foreigners who are assisting the police with their investigation," Moses Ombati, Nairobi regional police commander told Reuters by phone.

"The suspects will be arraigned in court of law as soon as the police finish their interrogating them."

Ombati did not give any more details on the suspects.

Dwight Sagaray, the first secretary at the embassy, was charged in August with Fonseca's murder, as were two Kenyan security guards at her compound for failing to use any reasonable means to stop her murder. They have all pleaded not guilty.

A Kenyan court on Monday turned down a request to release Sagaray - who was arrested after his diplomatic immunity was waived - on bail, saying there was a likelihood he would interfere with investigations.

One of Sagaray's friends, Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed Hassan, is still at large and police are looking for him in connection with Fonseca's death. A warrant for his arrest is in force.

Kenyan Foreign Ministry officials said local staff employed by the Venezuelan embassy had complained to its Diplomatic Police Unit after the diplomat fired them.

She had sacked them after they refused to retract sexual harassment claims against the former head of the Venezuelan embassy, the employees said.

(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Editing by Stephen Powell)