BY SAM ALFAN.
Four advocates representing parties who have filed petitions for the removal of Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji have said they will record statements with the police over remarks the country’s chief prosecutor makes which they say is a threat to their lives.
Lawyers Danstan Omari, Cliff Ombeta, Shadrack Wambui, Paul Macharia said the statement by the DPP last week amounted to intimidation.
The lawyers said the DPP reportedly said he went to Somalia and fought with Al Shabaab, but the lawyers said the utterance was meant to threaten them.
“DPP Haji statement that he went to Somalia to fight alshabaab to us is an indication and a serious threat to advocate who are filing these petitions. He is telling us his achievements in battlefield where alshabaab have been killed. How safe are advocates who are doing their job? Omari addes.
According to the lawyers, the said statement made during a meeting organized by ICJ in Mombasa was meant to intimidate them.
Present during the meeting were Chief Justice Martha Koome, Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai and Director of Criminal investigations George Kinoti among others.
Omari said they will be calling the top officers as witnesses as they were present when the alleged threat was made.
The lawyers also questioned the DPP’s move to gag the media from covering or commenting on the two petitions currently before the Public Service Commission (PSC) seeking to remove him from office.
The advocates were speaking outside Milimani Law Court after filing yet another petition seeking the removal of Haji from office.
In the latest petition, city businessman and Director of Jack and Jill Supermarkets Schon Noorani is accusing Haji of refusing to charge his former ally and business associate Rajendra Sanghani.
In the petition, the businessman claims that Sanghani took a loan from him in 2015 that has since ballooned to Sh240 million and he has refused to pay.
He wanted the former associate to be charged with obtaining money by false pretences but he says the DPP declined, insisting that it is a civil and not a criminal case.
Noorani claims that back then, he would lend money to Sanghani which would be refunded at a friendly interest.
He further adds that in 2015, he loaned Sh167 million to Sanghani with the promise that he will pay back adding but the former ally sent post dated cheques, but there was no money.
