The Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji has vowed to challenge the ruling by Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti which acquitted former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko from money laundering and Sh20 million theft charges.
Sonko was acquitted together with his co-accused friends after Ogoti found his case defective. He was facing 13 theft related charges which Haji says led to the loss of Sh20 million from Nairobi county coffers during his reign.
But Haji also admits that the court was right to make the ruling without considering merits of the case because his charge sheet was flawed.
“I will appeal against the ruling delivered by Hon. Ogoti which acquitted all the accused persons in the case of the former Nairobi governor. The court made the ruling on the basis that the charge sheet was defective, and not on the merits and substance of the case”, Haji said.
Sonko and his corrupt business partner Anthony Ombok were exonerated in Ogoti’s Wednesday ruling over lack of evidence and the case was also flawed.
Ogoti stated that Haji had no evidence to prove that Sonko and Ombok went against procurement laws and stole Sh20 million from public coffers.
Haji had in July 27, 2022 hinted that he won the Sonko case after he called 19 witnesses and giving 113 documentary exhibits to back his argument.
Haji has been dropping high profile graft cases against members of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance since the coalition ascended to power in September, why not Sonko?
The DPP in November dropped a Sh7.5 billion graft a case against the Deputy President Hon. Rigathi Gachagua arguing that he had not finished investigating the case.
He withdrew the charges under section 87A of the criminal procedure code stating the investigations in the matter were not complete.
ODPP’s investigating officer Mr. Obadiah Kuria told the court that they did not cover many areas in case due to constraints of time.
Haji also withdrew a Sh19 graft case against CS Aisha Jumwa citing lack of tight evidence under Section 87A.
Withdrawal of corruption cases against Kenya Kwanza politicians has put the DPP under fierce criticism with a section of opposition politicians accusing him of working in favor of top government officials. But he looks hell bent to pin UDA’s Sonko down redeem himself.
