Evans Kidero in Court on March 4, 2019 TWITTER
In an official communication to Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, on Thursday, March 7, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji dismissed an application by former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero challenging graft charges against him.
The DPP also rejected an application for a separate trial by Kidero in the case being heard at Milimani Anti-corruption Court.
DPP Haji defended the strong position of the case of 35 graft charges against Kidero together with some officials that served in his administration.
DPP Noordin Haji
The charges include, but are not limited to abuse of office, conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, dealing with suspect property, fraudulent acquisition of public property, and unlawful failure to pay tax to a public body.
Kidero’s initial application had asked the court to try him separately from his co-accused, a situation that would be rather favourable for his legal team and would reduce the odds of him winning the case.
On his part, the DPP observed that such would imply complexities for the prosecution.The DPP even went ahead to question why Kidero raised the matter after four months since the previous hearing of the case in court.
Kidero with a co-accused in court in the past
The DPP was adamant that the prosecution would stand to be prejudiced by having to call the same witnesses to the stand for different trials to offer the same testimonies.
Speaking for the DPP, prosecutor Joseph Riungu indicated, “Subsequently, at all material times the matter came up for pre-trial directions up until the time the hearing dates were given, none of the accused raised an issue in relation to duplicity or any other issue pertaining to the charge sheet.”
The application by Kidero had accused the DPP of charging him of the multiple counts of graft together with his former juniors with the intent of causing the former governor embarrassment.