Slain Cabinet Secretary of Sports and Heritage Rashid Echesa skipped police summons issued against him on Thursday.
Mr Echesa was scheduled to appear at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) police station by 10am on Friday following a scandal between him and Kakmega Senator Cleophas Malala where he tried to manipulate photos showing the Senator in a compromising position with an unknown woman.
According to Nairobi Central police boss Robinson Thuku, they were still waiting for the CS and his driver, identified as Mr Fredrick Ouma to honour the summons.
“He is yet to honour the summons despite a commitment that he would have done so,” said Mr Thuku.
According to sources, the CS was away attending a meeting elsewhere.
Mr Echesa is said to be having crucial information that would help the police in their investigations.
“KICC police station have a reason to believe you Hon Rashid Echesa have information that may assist in investigation of alleged offence of Cyber Crime Act of 2018,” read part of the summon.
The three photojournalists were on the other hand presented in court over the matter but set free due to a faulty charge sheet.
Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi freed the three after the court was told the offences they were to be charged with had been coined from a law that has been suspended by the High Court.
According to Chief Magistrate Andayi, “The accused persons are hereby discharged.”
The three were allegedly paid Sh5,000 by the CS to manipulate images of the Senator in a compromising situation with an unidentified woman and then have the images widely shared on social media.
The trio is accused of taking Senator Malala’s photo image, cropping off the head, placing an unrelated naked body and putting it beside an unclothed woman.
CS Echesa had,paid some three journalists to photoshop Malala’s image to portray him in a compromising situation with a non-existent woman.
The strategy was to flood the Internet with the pornographic pictures in a bid to tarnish Malala’s reputation, especially in Kakamega, where their supremacy battles have played out openly.
The vocal Malala, a close ally of Opposition chief Raila Odinga has been chiding Rashid, a former ODM national youth leader, as a Standard 7 drop-out who does not understand his work as CS.