Danstan Omari kicked out of court for disrupting proceedings

Justice Bahati Mwamuye orders Interior CS Murkomen's lawyer, Danstan Omari, to leave courtroom for interrupting proceedings in the abductions case. [File, Standard]

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen's lawyer, Danstan Omari, was Wednesday ordered out of the courtroom for disrupting proceedings in the abductions case.

Omari interrupted fellow advocate Evans Ogada, who was making submissions to halt the proceedings, citing the absence of Inspector General (IG) Douglas Kanja and NTSA Director General (DG) George Njao.

Paul Nyamodi, representing IG Kanja, informed the court that his client could not attend due to other pressing security-related matters.

Nyamodi stated that he could not reach Kanja, but Kanja's office indicated he had left early for an urgent security meeting. Nyamodi said he was unaware of the meeting's details, adding that Kanja should be excused from today's proceedings and granted 14 days to facilitate statement-taking and conclude investigations.

Even as everyone awaits to see if Kanja will show up or not, his lawyer said that the abducted were not in police custody, adding that the five men have been freed by their abductors, if they were abducted at all.

Nyamondi argued that the responsibility to have the five who were abducted brought to court lies with their lawyers.

Further, regarding Steve Mbisi, who is still missing, Nyamondi told the court that he is not in police custody and that even law enforcement is actively seeking information on his whereabouts.

The court was adjourned until 12:10 p.m. to allow time to locate IG Kanja, who had missed proceedings for the second time.

Judge Mwamuye said that if both the Inspector General of Police and DCI boss Mohammed Amin fail to appear a third time, the court will hold them in contempt and issue an immediate sentence.