•Waluke and the mother of former Environment CS Judy Wakhungu are facing up to 10 years in prison after a court found them guilty of fraud.
•They are awaiting their sentence for Sh297 million fraud at the National Cereals and Produce Board.
Sirisia MP John Waluke and his co-accused Grace Wakhungu, mother of former Environment CS Judy Wakhungu are facing up to 10 years in prison after a court found them guilty of fraud. They are awaiting their sentence of Sh727.7 million and Sh707.7million respectively for fraud at the National Cereals and Produce Board. See more https://bit.ly/2B0N2Ph
Look at him with mercy, he has regretted the events that occurred.
These were the words of lawyer Cliff Ombeta when he defended Sirisia MP John Waluke in court on Thursday.
Waluke and the mother of former Environment CS Judy Wakhungu are facing up to 10 years in prison after a court found them guilty of fraud.
They are awaiting their sentence for Sh297 million fraud at the National Cereals and Produce Board.
"He can be a better person today. If you side with us, then you will understand that he needs leniency. Please your honor," Ombeta said.
Ombeta said they are not demanding but requesting.
"We are begging that you give us the most lenient sentence. It is provided for in the laws. Look at his age, he is not a young man," he said.
"He has come to court religiously and respects the court. He knows his duty. Is that the kind of person we would want locked for ever? This is a good man."
Ombeta said Waluke has worked in the civil servant because he was effective and had no bad record.
"In as much as he has been punctured, he has a family who depends on him. If you let him go today, you will be having a good person telling people to obey the law," he said.
"If you lock him up. His family will suffer. The damage will be much bigger. Please allow him to go."
He said that Waluke still has some dignity to maintain saying that he is an MP.
He and Wakhungu risk being imprisoned for a term not exceeding 10 years or pay a fine not exceeding Sh1 million or both.
The law says there is an additional mandatory fine if, as a result of the conduct that constituted the offence, the person received a quantified benefit or any other person suffered a quantified loss.
The magistrate acquitted Waluke in the counts of uttering false documents as a director of Erad Supplies and General Contracts. This was done as evidence in the arbitration dispute between Erad and NCPB.
He was also acquitted on a charge of perjury, where he was charged with giving false testimony in an arbitration dispute between Erad and NCPB.