Editor's Review

  • Politician Mike Sonko is now going after the Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti.
  • In an application, the former governor accused the Chief Magistrate of open bias during the hearing of his case.

Former Governor Mike Sonko now wants the Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti to recuse himself from hearing and determine his Sh10 million corruption case.

In an application dated January 29, Sonko urged Ogoti to disqualify himself from the case arguing that the magistrate will not allow fairness and impartiality to prevail during the hearing and therefore they will not get justice.

“Ogoti has during the hearing of the case failed to allow good counsel, fairness and impartiality to prevail during the hearing and he should recuse himself from hearing and determining this matter,” the application read.

The former governor accused Ogoti of expressing open bias during the hearing of the case.

Corruption case

Through his lawyers, Sonko argued that there was unfairness when Ogoti directed the matter be heard in closed court under the Witness Protection Act while he was well aware of the order of the High Court in Misc.

He further accused the magistrate of misapplying the provisions of the Witness Protection Act, Cap 79 laws of Kenya in the proceedings, and Failure to strictly adhere to the Law of Evidence Act.

Sonko and Anthony Otieno Ombok alias Jamal, a director of ROG Security Limited are accused of demanding Ksh10 million bribe from Web Tribe Ltd through ROG Security Limited as an incentive to facilitate payments by the county government.