High court stops terrorism, assault charges against Sonko

0
Former Nairobi County Governor Mike Sonko (left) and his lawyer Dr. John Khaminwa at Milimani Law Courts at a past date. Photo/Suek

It is a relief for former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko after the high court stopped the assault and terrorism charges against him.

Justice Weldon Korir ruled that Sonko had established that his arrest and prosecution by Inspector General of Police and Director of Public Prosecution did not accord with the constitutional requirements.

“There is therefore need to stay the trials pending the hearing and determination of this petition, an order is thereby issued that pending the hearing and determination of this petition, the respondents are stopped from further prosecuting the applicant in the said cases,” ruled the Judge.

Sonko has sued the Inspector General of Police, the DPP and the Attorney General. According to him, the IG and DPP are in the process of prosecuting him with the intention of overwhelming him and inducing his submission politically which is a violation of his fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in the constitution. He accuses them of abusing their offices.

He averred that the DPP framed an evil scheme of lies, falsehoods and distortions to intentionally set him up on false charges and allegations.

“I was illegally detained based on the respondents’ impunity, malice and bad faith as they have brought frivolous and unfounded suits against him with the intent to keep him in custody.

Sonko says the DPP’s intent to maliciously persecute him on resurrected criminal cases for the period of 1988 to 2001 is specifically aimed to achieve a political outcome that will extinguish his political career as some of those cases were nullified by the court of appeal.

He says the actions of the respondents’ subjected him to psychological, mental and physical torture.