GARISSA COUNTY CORRUPTION CASES TO BEGIN ON 15TH, JUNE

By Adow Jubat

Corruption case facing Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and six of his former tender Committee members failed to taking off today at Garissa magistrate court.

 Judge Victor Asiyo said he has no jurisdiction to hear corruption matter until the Chief Magistrate Margaret Wachira who is on leave resumes.  

Now the case will officially commence June 15^th when the Governor and co-accused will be expected to take plea.

All six former tender committee Rahma Dekow, Jawahir Keinan, Abdi Sahal, Safia Mohamed, Mohamed Hassan and Mohamud Hassan Mohamed were in the dock and the judge extended their cash bail for two weeks.

The county officials are accused of leasing ambulances from Emergency Plus (Eplus) Medical Services, A company that is fully owned by the Kenya Red Cross.

The Governor who didn’t appeared in the court to take the plea, but his lawyer Chunga  Unono said his client is in Nairobi to for official to meet the visiting President Tayyip Erdoğan who brought with him donations for the county government.

“The Governor has public duty and will be receiving donation from a visiting president which is taking place today at 2.30pm in Nairobi and he will obey any date by the this court because  he is a law abiding citizen,” Lawyer Unono told court.

John Wanyonyi, Senior Assistant Director of public Prosecution for EACC told the court that the Mr Jama should issue with warrant of arrest to compel him to appear before the court for failing to show up saying he was duly summoned before given cash bail.

He also said the sh100,000 cash bail given by the governor be forfeited to the state for deliberate absconding the court proceedings.

Wanyonyi said the governor should be compelled to produce official documents that he was actually attending a visiting presidential function adding that the governor has the machinery to attend the court proceedings and at the same time be in Nairobi because of time difference.

However the lawyer for the county officials said the governor has not absconded the proceedings only asked to be requested for a later date for plea taking.

Earlier on members of the public thronged to Garissa high court to have glimpse of ongoing court proceedings which involved the Governor and county officials but were denied entry at the court’s compound with police condoning the area.

At one time the accused were blocked by security officials at the gate even after showing documents from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and equally media personnel were treated the same.