Court puts off Mwakwere hate speech case

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Environment minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere got a reprieve after court suspended his prosecution over hate speech charges August 30, 2012  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By PAMELA CHEPKEMEI
Posted  Thursday, August 30  2012 at  13:21

IN SUMMARY

• Justice Majanja temporarily stops the criminal trial of Mr Mwakwere until Monday when he will rule on an application by the Minister.

Environment minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere got a reprieve after court suspended his prosecution over hate speech charges.

High Court Judge David Majanja temporarily stopped the criminal trial of Mr Mwakwere until Monday when he will rule on an application by the Minister.

Mr Mwakwere had been summoned by the magistrate’s court to appear in court on last Friday morning and answer the charges.

But the Matuga MP filed an urgent application asking the High Court to stop his trial so that he can appeal against an earlier decision by Justice Majanja which dismissed a constitutional petition.

He wants the judge to stop the trial at the magistrate’s court until his appeal is heard and determined.

His lawyer told Justice Majanja Thursday that the minister will be seriously prejudiced if the court does not stop his trial pending the determination of his appeal.

The lawyers representing the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions, opposed the case and asked the judge to dismiss it.