The owner of Thika’s Porkies Club Paul Wainaina has refuted allegations that he and five others murdered former Juja MP George Thuo in 2013.
During his defence hearing, Wainaina told Justice Roseline Korir that the former MP was his good friend, a regular patron at his club and not once has he ever thought of causing him harm.
It is alleged that Thuo died on 17th November 2013 due to poisoning that caused internal bleeding.
Led in his defence by Senior Counsel John Khaminwa, the businessman said that Thuo had been drinking at a joint in Kitengela before proceeding to Thika.
“Before Thuo came to my club, he had passed at another restaurant in Kitengela where he took some drinks and also passed at his house before proceeding to my place,” Wainaina told the court.
According to Wainaina, Thuo had called him and informed him that he was going to his club to watch formula one and wanted him to preserve a sitting space for him.
Wainaina claimed that he had even organised Thuo’s wedding who had separated from his wife for half a year but reunited before he met his death.
The court heard that in the midst of drinking at Porkies, Thuo told the businessman that he was feeling hot and needed to remove his vest.
“I took him to my office where he removed the vest and took it to his car in the parking lot before he returned,” he added.
Wainaina further said that later, Thuo collapsed and he rushed him to hospital in the company of other people. They were later informed that the MP had passed away.
According to Wainaina, the MP has a heart problem and was receiving treatment from time to time.
ICC witness
In addition, the accused claimed that Thuo had told him that he was a witness at the ICC case where the former President Uhuru Kenyatta and President William Ruto were accused persons.
His Lawyer John Khaminwa told the court that no motive to poison Thuo had been established by the DPP adding that there was no evidence to demonstrate the link between the accused and the death of the deceased.
The court was asked to take judicial notice that specimens from the body, the glass he used and the beer bottle were taken to South Africa for forensic examination but the results have never been received..
According to the police, a post-mortem showed that Thuo died from hemorrhagic gastroenteritis caused by poisoning.
Wainaina is charged alongside Christine Lumbazio Andika alias Lumba, Andrew Karanja Wainaina, Samwel Kuria alias Visi, Esther Ndinda Mulinge and Ruth Watahi Irungu alias Atlanta.
