Tycoon’s bid to stop bigamy case fails

Efforts by a German millionaire to have a bigamy and maintenance case dropped failed on Tuesday.

Mr Jurgen Paul Flach had petitioned the High Court in Nakuru to order that proceedings be stopped in a lower court where he is accused of marrying two women.

In the case, his wife Jane Akoth demanded monthly maintenance of Sh300,000, backdated to February 2010.

She wanted the court to order Mr Flach to deposit Sh18 million for her maintenance for five years.

In the petition, Mr Flach asked Mr Justice William Ouko to reject his wife’s request.

He also asked that the lower court’s records be examined and that his passport be released to him.

In his supporting affidavit, Mr Flach said he had to travel to Germany for medical attention as he was seriously ill.

He also accused Ms Akoth of registering a fraudulent marriage to extort money from him.

“To put pressure on me to pay the Sh18 million, Ms Akoth has filed an application to bring private criminal investigations against me even before the police conclude their work,” he said.

Mr Flach was ordered to surrender his passport to the court after he allegedly tried to leave the country. He was arrested on April 15 at his hotel room in Mombasa. (READ: German arrested to answer bigamy charges)

In her replying affidavit, Ms Akoth described her meeting with Mr Flach in 2007, their courtship, proposal and marriage two years later.

“Before the wedding, Mr Flach demanded a certificate of no impediment to marriage which was issued on March 19, 2009,” she said.
She said the wedding was solemnised under the Christian Marriage Act.

“I will produce evidence to prove the marriage,” she said. Justice Ouko over-ruled Mr Flach’s petition, saying he should present his case in the lower court.