Arrest of Midiwo stopped

The police have been stopped by a court from arresting the joint Government Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo accused of giving false information.

Lawyers representing Mr Midiwo, who is out of the country, obtained the orders from the High Court on Wednesday.

The police have been looking for Mr Midiwo after successfully seeking an arrest warrant so that they can charge him with giving false information.

The warrant was issued a few days after Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko ordered the ODM chief whip arrested over claims of a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Stopping police

But the Kisumu-based Lady Justice Abida Ali Aroni issued orders stopping the police from executing the arrest warrant obtained from the magistrate’s court in Nairobi on Monday.

Mr Midiwo’s lawyer, Mr Titus Kyengo, told the court that the police obtained the warrant irregularly because they did not demonstrate to the magistrate how the MP is a flight risk. He said that Mr Midiwo was out of the country on official Government business.

The police said in an affidavit that they were unable to trace Mr Midiwo.

Mr Midiwo made the sensational claim on the alleged plot to have the Prime minister assassinated two weeks ago at a funeral in Bondo.

He said several meetings were held at which the assassination plot was discussed.

He alleged that Foreign Affairs minister Prof Sam Ongeri attended one of the meetings.

Mr Midiwo alleged that a meeting was held a fortnight before he dropped the bombshell attended by two ministers, a senior security officer and a permanent secretary during which elimination of Mr Odinga was discussed as the last option in swinging the Kibaki succession race.

Mr Midiwo has sued the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Commissioner of Police, the CID Director and the Attorney General.

Lady Justice Aroni directed that the three respondents be served with the suit papers for hearing on May 11.