It’s going to be a long cold spell outside the cabinet for suspended Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu, after being charged in court for obstructing investigations into the 134-acre Karen land scandal.
While she did not plead to the charge following her objection to being prosecuted alongside seven other suspects accused of fraudulently acquiring the controversial land, Nation writes, she has to be cleared by the court before being re-appointed to government.
If it takes too long, she might lose her job altogether. Also facing a similar predicament is her Transport counterpart Eng. Michael Kamau, who is also facing abuse of office charge.
If found guilty, Mrs Ngilu risks being fined Sh500,000 or jailed for a term not exceeding five years, or both.
Mrs Ngilu’s day in court was not without drama and political connotation as CORD co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka led a host of Wiper Party MPs and supporters thronged the court in solidarity with her.
Also present was Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi Sonko. Outside the court, hundreds of other supporters gathered with placards castigating the government over Mrs Ngilu’s prosecution.
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In her application to be tried separately, Mrs Ngilu, through lawyers Paul Muite and Kioko Kilukumi argued that the offence she was facing was not related to fraudulent acquisition of the land. “The charge sheet has eight counts but she is only facing the offence of obstructing investigations. It is a stand-alone count which if heard together with the rest will subject her to prolonged trial where she is not involved,” said Mr Muite.
According to Mr Muite, public interest would be served if the suspended CS was charged separately and her case heard independently.
Mr Kilukumi submitted that the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to join the charges was against the Criminal Procedure Code which does not allow unrelated offences to be read together.
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