BY SAM ALFAN.
It’s been four years since Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi was charged with forging academic papers to be cleared to vie for the Parliamentary seat.
The trial has been stalled on several occasions due to applications for adjournment and partly because of an appeal the MP had filed challenging his prosecution.
The case, which was supposed to be heard today, hit a snag once again after Sudi who was present in court applied for adjournment saying his lawyer Thomas Ruto was unwell and could not make it to court.
Anti-Corruption Magistrate Felix Kombo allowed the adjournment but said the trial must commence in October without fail.
“We have to conclude this matter. I’m under a lot of pressure to get such cases done. We will take six days and see whether they will cover all remaining witnesses,” Said trial Magistrate Kombo.
Magistrate Kombo said that he was under pressure to hear and conclude such cases which had been pending in court for years.
The MP is facing nine counts of forgery after he allegedly presented forced academic papers to be cleared to vie for the MP’s seat.
It is alleged that on an unknown date and place, with the intent to deceive, he forged a diploma certificate in business management, purporting that it had been issued by the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM).
The court heard that he committed the offence on January 31, 2013 at IEBC offices in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
It was said that Sudi’s forged documents included his Diploma Certificate in Business Management allegedly issued by KIM and a KCSE certificate from Highway High school.
The MP is facing other counts of giving false information to an IBC officer and lying to the electoral body and the EACC.
He is said to have presented the certificates to the two commissions with the intention of deceiving them.
Sudi allegedly provided false information to Derrick Kaisha, an officer of EACC, at Haron Court Hotel, Nairobi County, in September 2015.
The legislator is also accused of making a false declaration under oath through a self-declaration form to IEBC at Barng’etuny plaza in Eldoret on that date.
This was contrary to Section 46(1)(d) as read with Section 46(2) at the Leadership and Integrity Act
He is further accused of making a false statutory declaration contrary to Section 11 of the Oaths and Statuary declarations.
Sudi was charged based on the EACC’s recommendations to the DPP, following investigations.
The lawmaker is out on a cash bail of Sh300, 000 or a bond of Sh600, 000.
His quest to prohibit Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji from instituting any further criminal proceedings against him over his academic qualification was dismissed by the High Court.
The MP also failed to quash the forgery charges after Justice Hedwig Ong’undi dismissed the petition for lack of merit.
