'Sonko escaped prison before, he is a flight risk,' - DPP

Piece by: Peninah Njoki
Lifestyle

The Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution has opposed the release of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on bail citing that he once escaped prison.

The DPP represented by Gitonga Riungu and James Kihara opposed Sonko's release.

Kihara says if Sonko is released on bail, he will interfere and intimidate the witnesses who are junior officers and employees of the Nairobi county government.

'Sonko has on several occasions threatened officers at eacc during the investigations and releasing him will interfere with the investigations/ case at Nairobi city county.'

Kihara says Sonko had targeted to escape from the jurisdiction of the court but they managed to arrest him at Voi town.

'This is a clear manifestation that Sonko is a flight risk,' says kihara.

He says on 12 March in 1998 Sonko was convicted for failing to appear in court in three cases in Mombasa.

He was sentenced to pay a fine of shs 500,000 in first case and Ksh 200,000 in the second case in default he was to serve 6 months imprisonment for each case consecutively.

Kihara quotes the commissioner of prisons who says while Sonko was at Shimo la Tewa sought treatment at the coast general hospital however escaped from lawful custody.

He was then arrested after a signal was sent from Shimo la Tewa prison. Kihara has put an affidavit in court.

Sonko, along with several other Nairobi County officials, was arraigned before Anti-Corruption Magistrate Douglas Ogoti to answer to Sh357 million graft charges at City Hall.

Miller says matters before court relates to garbage tenders at Nairobi county and on 27 august 2019, EACC issued an invitation to Sonko to record statements relating to the issue.

He appeared and offered crucial documents. So allegation on Sonko declining to cooperate cannot apply.

Miller also denied claims that Sonko was fleeing.

"This was a man who was going about his own business. Sonko is is a man of means if he wanted to flee he could have. You cant run away using a public highway,"