Thursday, January 12, 2012

State House denies First Family drugs link



E-mailPrintPDF
Share/Save/Bookmark
STATE House has denied reports that the First Family has ever been involved in drug trafficking. On Monday, the High Court allowed an application by MP John Harun Mwau ordering John Githongo and nine defendants from organising demonstrations against the drugs trade.
The injunction barred Githongo from linking the Mwau or the Kibaki family to the drugs trade. “We wish to state that the first family needs no defence or protection on the matter because they are not and have never been involved in any drug trafficking or illegal trade,” said a terse statement from the Presidential Press Service "The first Family is also not party to any suit by Hon. Mwau and the ruling, as reported by the Star, is highly misplaced," said the statement.
Instead Judge Pauline Nyamweya directed that defendants in the case who had not filed their response do so before February 14 when the case will be heard. Mwau was named as a global drugs kingpin by President Obama in June last year but has since been vigorously trying to clear his name.
Mwau's suit claimed that there had been a meeting at the British High Commission on November 28 where Githongo briefed about 30 activists on the need for demonstrations against the drugs trade in Kenya. Colleagures of Githongo have dismissed the alleged meeting as a "complete fabrication". British High Commission head of communication John Bradshaw yesterday said he could not comment on the alleged meeting because the matter was before court.
However it is believed that the High Commission may be seeking legal advice on whether it is sub judice to issue a statement that the November 28 meeting never took place. After the United States put Mwau on its list of global drug kingpins in June, he claimed that his life was in danger. Two weeks later Mwau's vehicle was hit by bullets near Parliament. At the time, Police Commissioner Matthew Iteere said that he believed that the shooting had been stage-managed. The High Court case brought by Mwau against Githongo resumes on February 14.

No comments:

Post a Comment