Oscar Sudi dropped out in Class 7, court told on day the MP skips hearing

"Did you teach Sudi?" Cherop was asked by the prosecution.

He replied: "Yes. I taught him Maths in classes 6 and 7."

The teacher said Sudi actively participated in games but did not complete his studies.

Cherop testified that he did not know where Sudi went, or whether he pursued secondary education.

The court heard that the witness wrote his statement in 2015.

The outspoken legislator was charged in October 2016 with three counts of forging academic certificates while seeking clearance from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to contest the General Election for March 4, 2013.

According to the prosecution, the MP forged his diploma in business management allegedly issued by the Kenya Institute of Management as well as a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education certificate reportedly issued by Highway Secondary School.

Oscar Sudi was charged in October 2016 with three counts of forging academic certificates. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Sudi was also charged with giving false information to the IEBC, and for misleading Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officials who were investigating the matter.

Stop prosecution

The MP had initially rushed to the High Court to stop his prosecution after a former IEBC official testified that the MP had lied to him when seeking clearance to contest for the Kapseret seat.

Bernard Mulati testified that Sudi's certificates were forged, but that he was not aware at the time he cleared him.

"He presented the papers at Kapseret Constituency where I was the Returning Officer. He presented the high school and diploma certificates for nominations. I assumed the certificates were authentic until much later when I realised they were forged," said Mr Mulati.

Fair hearing

At the High Court, Sudi argued that he was not accorded a fair hearing by the EACC, and that the charges were a violation of his privacy and dignity.

But Lady Justice Hedwig Ong'undi in July 2017 dismissed the application, ruling that the prosecution had not violated his rights and was justified to charge him based on the evidence linking him to the alleged forgery.

Following Justice Ong'undi's verdict, the case at the Magistrate's Court proceeded from where it had stopped. Only two prosecution witnesses have yet to testify.

The case will proceed today.