Paper ‘did not name Midiwo in swoop’

Mr Jakoyo Midiwo was not one of the politicians described in a 2003 Sunday Nation story of a police swoop that caught some politicians and businessmen soliciting for prostitutes in Nairobi.

Nation Media Group editorial director Joseph Odindo on Monday took this stance in court as he gave evidence in a defamation case filed against the company by the Gem MP.

Mr Odindo was the group managing editor at the time the story was published.

The MP has sued the media company for allegedly defaming him by publishing the story about a police swoop on the infamous Koinange Street, during which some college girls were also arrested.

On Monday, Mr Odindo told the court that the Sunday Nation story did not contain the names of any of those who had been caught.

However, he added, he was surprised when another media house later named Mr Midiwo as one of them.

“To my knowledge, he was not among the personalities that our reporter had briefed us about,” Mr Odindo said.

The story was published on December 14, 2003. On the same day, Citizen Television broadcast a similar story in its 9pm news.

But the television mentioned Mr Midiwo, Chirau Ali Mwakwere and Mwangi Kiunjuri as the politicians caught in the swoop.

The following day, the MPs convened a press conference where they denied that they were the individuals caught on Koinange Street.

The police also addressed the media and confirmed that they had carried out a swoop in various parts of the city and arrested some prostitutes, but denied having caught the MPs.

On Monday, Mr Odindo told the court that he was convinced that Citizen had relied on sources different from the Sunday Nation.

Hearing continues.