Court orders Mike Sonko to show up for corruption case tomorrow

The Anti-corruption court has ordered former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko (pictured) to present himself to court tomorrow for the hearing of his graft case.

Trial magistrate Douglas Ogoti dismissed the application for adjournment as applied by his defense lawyers, saying an independent medical report shows the former county chief is fit and in sound mind to stand trial.

The test was conducted by four independent medical doctors from the Kenyatta National Hospital.

The court dismissed a medical report obtained from private doctors and presented by Sonko’s defense lawyers, saying the same reports were obtained two weeks after the court made an order that he be examined at KNH.

The court said  if he failed to attend court tomorrow there would be consequences.

The last time Sonko attended trial before Ogoti was January 26 and has since been away on medical grounds.

Ogoti said a psychiatric report shows the former governor has no mental illnesses.

The magistrate earlier dismissed an application by Sonko to recuse himself from handling the case.

Ogoti ruled that Sonko’s defense team had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove his alleged bias and attempts to subvert justice.

“Sonko has not proved any claims of bias to warrant the court to disqualify me,” the magistrate ruled.

The ex-governor is facing two corruption cases.

A hearing of the second graft case is also underway, in which Sonko and four others are accused of embezzling Sh14.1 million.

Earlier, his lawyers produced a psychiatrist's report showing that he (Sonko) is mentally unfit to stand trial.