In the ongoing trial of former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and others charged with the Ksh.63 billion Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal, the prosecution encountered yet another setback.
On Monday, they failed to lead their witnesses to testify, citing the need for a 14-day adjournment to allow the new Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, to settle into his role and provide direction on the case.
The lead prosecutor, addressing Magistrate Eunice Nyutu, explained, “The DPP was sworn in last week. I will not tire to make my request about the outcome. Allow me to ask for 14 days to enable him to sit down and give a direction on the file.”
However, the magistrate, acknowledging the DPP’s right to make such an application, rejected the plea for an adjournment and directed the witnesses to testify as scheduled.
Surprisingly, the prosecution then announced that they had no questions for the two witnesses scheduled to testify on Monday morning, leading to the matter being adjourned to Tuesday for further hearing.
In the midst of these legal twists and turns, the court is set to make a crucial ruling on October 19 regarding an application filed by the prosecution. This application seeks to disqualify Trial Magistrate Nyutu from presiding over the case, adding another layer of complexity to this high-stakes trial.
