An Anti-corruption court has increased Kapsaret Mp Oscar Sudi’s cash bail from Sh 300,000 to Sh500, 000 as punishment for failing to appear in court on grounds that he was campaigning.
While delivering the ruling, Anti-corruption magistrate Felix Kombo said that having considered Sudi’s apology, he failed to show sufficient reasons for why he did not appear in court whereas the prosecution was ready to proceed.
“The matter was ready for hearing and a witness had travelled all the way from Bungoma to testify on that day,” the magistrate ruled.
Skipped court for campaigns
The court heard that the Legislator had skipped the hearing in order to campaign for the nominations in order to retain his parliamentary seat.
Kombo said he had fallen short of cancelling the bond altogether, but would not let Sudi go unpunished.
The magistrate said that an admission that Sudi had instead chosen to go on campaigns was spat on the courts face.
Kombo said the worst that could happen was to cancel bail but instead enhanced it from Ksh300K to Ksh500K.
Prosecutor Joseph Riungu had submitted that Sudi deliberately skipped the
court date because his cash bail was too lenient and requested the
court to impose a heftier bail term which will make him turn up next time.
Lawyer apologzes on Sudi’s behalf
Sudi’s lawyer Thomas Rutto apologized to the court, saying he did not fail to attend court deliberately but “was engaged in short notice of political nominations where he participated and he was nominated to defend his position during the August 8 2017 General Election.
The lawyer assured court that his client will not repeat his actions and will attend court any time he is required.
Particulars of the offence
Mp Oscar Sudi faces charges of forging his academic credentials and presenting a false declaration in the 2013 General Election.
It is alleged that on January 30 2013 at IEBC offices in Eldoret within Uasin Gishu County presented forged certificates to the electoral commission as he sought nominations.
Sudi was charged in October last year and was released on a cash bail of Sh300, 000.
