AG seeks time in Okemo case

By Judy Ogutu

The State is yet to respond to a case by Nambale MP Chris Okemo and former Kenya Power and Lighting Company Managing Director Samuel Gichuru challenging their extradition to the United Kingdom.

Senior State counsel Edwin Okello on Monday informed High Court judge, Mr Justice Nicholas Ombijah, that they needed 21 days to respond.

The two, who are challenging their extradition, are wanted in the Island of Jersey, UK, to stand trial for allegedly laundering Sh900 million acquired through corruption.

Mr Gichuru and Mr Okemo have taken issue with the fact that the proceedings, which led to the issuance of warrants of arrest against them, were conducted without hearing their side of the story.

After learning through the media about the warrants issued against them, they said, they wrote to the solicitor general in Jersey seeking an explanation as to why the proceedings were held without their knowledge.

Through the media

Further, they said they had found out through the media that Island of Jersey served the Attorney General of Kenya with a request for extradition.

Early this month, the two suffered a setback when the High Court declined to issue orders blocking their extradition.

" I find it telling that no extradition proceedings have commenced yet in the Chief Magistrate’s or any other court. There is nothing the High Court can prohibit at the moment," the judge had ruled.

Through their advocate Fred Ngatia, they had urged the court to certify the case urgent and give them interim orders or alternatively, the AG makes an undertaking that no adverse steps would be taken against them.

The case will be mentioned on July 18.