Tobiko withdraws appeal to detain politicians over chaos
What you need to know:
- The two prosecutors, Mr Daniel Karuri and Mr Duncan Ondimu, were telling the court that investigations were incomplete and pointed towards “possible murder charges”,
- Mr Tobiko noted that the government was “aware that the acts were provoked by alleged corruption going on in the county” and to this effect, he had ordered speedy investigations into allegations against Governor Samuel Tunai, and who if found liable would be prosecuted.
The Director of Public Prosecutions withdrew an application for the continued detention of a five MPs over chaos in Narok that saw two people dead.
Senator Stephen ole Ntutu and Members of the National Assembly Patrick ole Ntutu, Moitalel ole Kenta, Johanna Ng’eno and Korei Lemein were seized at the CID headquarters on Wednesday after being summoned to record statements over the protests that rocked Narok County on Monday.
They spent a night in police cells and were taken before a Nairobi court yesterday where the prosecution applied for their further incarceration owing to incomplete investigations.
The two prosecutors, Mr Daniel Karuri and Mr Duncan Ondimu, were telling the court that investigations were incomplete and pointed towards “possible murder charges”, but the DPP Keriako Tobiko walked into the court room and personally withdrew the application.
“As we speak Narok is in flames, the roads have been blocked and there has been massive destruction of property...we withdraw the application for continued detention but with conditions,” Mr Keriako Tobiko said.
ALLEGED CORRUPTION
Mr Tobiko noted that the government was “aware that the acts were provoked by alleged corruption going on in the county” and to this effect, he had ordered speedy investigations into allegations against Governor Samuel Tunai, and who if found liable would be prosecuted.
To bring peace in the county, the DPP said he was now not opposed to the leaders being released on personal bond but with a commitment to “keep the peace.”
The leaders were later released on a Sh500,000 bond each, ordered to report to the police once in a week, exercise restraint, and avoid acts of breaching the law as well as return to court on February 13 for a mention of the case.
Initially the prosecutors had accused the leaders of having a hand in the mayhem and stated that they may interfere with witnesses and exhibits urging the court to detain them for another seven days before being charged formally.
Mr Keriako Tobiko later walked into the courtroom and withdrew the motion midstream before a team of defence lawyers could complete their submissions of objections.
