Court stops prosecution of ex-Kenya Pipeline MD Charles Tanui in Ksh.30M graft case

The High Court in Nairobi on Wednesday temporarily stopped the prosecution of former Kenya Pipeline Managing Director Charles Tanui and others in the Ksh.30 million corruption case against them.

This is after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) moved to the Milimani Law Courts seeking to terminate the charges against Tanui and two others namely, Elias Maina Karumi and Josephat Kipkoech Sirma.

When the matter came for hearing before Trial Magistrate Victor Wakhumile, the ODPP led by State counsel Alexander Muteti said they obtained orders stopping the prosecution of the three pending hearing of the last witness and determination of the case.

Justice Wakhumile was served with the orders and set April 3 as the next mention date.

The prosecution had presented 25 witnesses in the case before changing tune and declining to lead the last witness, an EACC Investigating Officer, to the stand.

The ODPP subsequently applied to have the case dropped but the court turned it down, ordering that the matter proceed to its conclusion.

This came as the second time the ODPP filed an application to have the case dismissed, with the trial court likewise throwing out the request.