Reprieve for Okemo, Gichuru as DPP to await extradition appeal

Okemo served as Energy Minister between 1999 to 2001 before he was moved to the Finance docket where he served between 2001 and 2003/FILE

Dorcas Oduor from the Office of the DPP gave the undertaking after the two through their lawyer Fred Ngatia sought to stop any proceedings in regard to their extradition from going ahead pending the outcome of their appeal.

Ngatia sought the orders in response to High Court Justice Isaac Lenaola’s dismissal of a petition they had before him, challenging the legality of their extradition.

Justice Lenaola dismissed the petition last month on the grounds that the there were no constitutional matters for the court to determine and that the question of their extradition was the preserve of the criminal court.

READ: Okemo, Gichuru lose bid to block extradition proceedings

Following the decision, Ngatia told Appeal Court Justices Alnashir Visram, GBM Kariuki and Sankale Ole Kantai that his clients would be prejudiced should they fail to issue orders stopping the extradition proceedings from moving forward.

“A mention is scheduled in the magistrate’s court for February 12 and if that process concludes before this appeal is heard and determined, it will be rendered nugatory.”

A court on the Island of Jersey has sought the extradition of the two so that they can answer to money laundering charges.

Okemo and Gichuru are accused of abusing their offices by using proxy companies to squander public funds over 10 years ago, according to documents sent to the Kenyan government by the bailiff and Chief Justice of the Island of Jersey, Channel Islands.

They are accused of having received bribes amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings from international companies between 1999 and 2002.

The amount received in bribes from the companies is pegged at Sh902 million and was allegedly paid through various companies.

Okemo served as Energy Minister between 1999 to 2001 before he was moved to the Finance docket where he served between 2001 and 2003.

Gichuru served as the Managing Director of KPLC between 1983 and 2003.

About The Author

OLIVE BURROWS

With a decade of storytelling under her belt, Olive Burrows has been with Capital FM for the last four years and perhaps most notably interviewed US President Barack Obama. Committed to asking the hard questions and telling the story in the most engaging way possible, she has also interviewed Melinda Gates, a UK Minister and severally had the opportunity to sit across from President Uhuru Kenyatta and address the pressing issues of the day. Other notables she has had occasion to seek answers from are UN Secretary General António Guterres and John Kerry in his time as US Secretary of State.

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