Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Henry Nyakweba has allowed tycoon Praful Kumar to travel to the United Kingdom to attend to his daughter’s medical needs.
Praful Kumar came in to lime light when he tyried to bride Governor Sonko 1 million shillings to seeking for the approval of Grand Monar Hotel in Gigiri, Nairobi, which is under construction.
According to Principal Magistrate Nyakweba, “I have no reason to even imagine that the accused person’s intended travel to UK is a maneuver to escape, the reason given for the intention to travel is to a company a sick daughter. Though no medical documents were given, I do not think that a reasonable parent in his senses can feign illness of his own child.
Senior Mombasa Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Ingonga Mulele had asked the court to deny Mr Kumar leave to travel arguing that he is a flight risk and is likely not to return to Kenya to continue with the criminal proceedings against him.
Through an affidavit by Ethics and Anti–Corruption Commission, the prosecutor said that the suspect has not given any authentic medical records to prove the ill health of his alleged daughter in Kenya that would necessitates the medical treatment abroad.
Mr Ingonga told the court they were apprehensive that the suspect was planning to jump bail and avoid prosecution, reason he was faking sickness to execute his plans considering the gravity of the offence he is facing.
But the magistrate dismissed their application arguing that the fear of the accused jumping bond had been overtaken by events and that payment for travel was made in June before the offence was committed.
“Since a return ticket has been shown to the court, I do not think that it will be fair to deny him leave to travel. His absence from the jurisdiction will not cause any delay in his trial since the same has not even started as the pre-trial process has not been completed as the state is still in the process of compiling evidence,” he said.
The suspect who is out on a Sh500,000 bond had applied for leave to fly to UK for a month.
Mr Kumar made the application under a certificate of agency saying he needs to fly to UK to attend to his daughter’s medical needs scheduled to undergo treatment from October 22 to November 22.
The tycoon, arrested in Kilifi on August 20, has denied offering a Sh5 million bribe to the governor to approve and continue building his Grand Monar Hotel in Gigiri.
The case will be heard on November 30.