Malindi Member of Parliament Aisha Jumwa has been charged afresh after the prosecution amended the charge sheet in a case where she, alongside others, is accused 13 offenses including forgery, fraud in procurement and money laundering.
Jumwa, through her lawyers before taking the plea afresh, declined to answer to the charges saying she wants time to read the statements that have been recorded in the new charge sheet.
Her lawyers Shadrack Wambui and Danstan Omar however withdrew their services after the court dismissed a plea to have the matter adjourned to another date and insisted on hearing the case on Tuesday without considering their submissions.
The lawyers had also asked the court to have the matter heard by another magistrate since the Trail Magistrate Edna Nyaloti has been transferred to a new station.
Nyaloti has been transferred to the Nakuru Law Court to head the station and is expected to report by October 10, 2021.
The court hence directed Jumwa to get new lawyers to represent her in the case.
If the new lawyers will not have gone through the documents including the witness statements, then the chances of having the case adjourned to another day are higher.
Jumwa is charged alongside six co-accused who include; Wachu Omar Abdalla (Malindi CDF Account Manager), Kennedy Otieno Onyango, Bernard Riba Kai, Sophia Saidi Charo and Margaret Faith Kalume, who are members of the Malindi Tender Evaluation Committee, as well as Robert Katana Wanje, a Director of Multserve Contractors Limited.
They have been charged with 13 offenses including forgery, fraud in procurement and money laundering.
Source: kenyagist