An anti-corruption court will on January 26 determine whether it will review hearing dates issued in the Sh7.4 billion graft case facing Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua and others.
The hearing is slated for September this year, with the state having lined up 45 witnesses and documentary evidence running to more than 900 pages.
But the Director of Public Prosecutions, through state prosecutor Vera Hamisa, asked the court to review the dates, citing guidelines on economic crimes cases.
Cases of such nature, he said, should be finalised within 24 months.
She said going by the number of witnesses they have, and the hearing dates issued in September, it will be impossible to finalise the case within the required timeline.
The defence, on the other hand, asked the court to dismiss the application, adding that the state has not even supplied them with all the evidence they intend to rely on during trial.
In the case, Gachagua, an ardent supporter of Deputy President William Ruto, faced six counts of economic crimes, including conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, money laundering, and fraudulent acquisition of public property.
The lawmaker is said to have fraudulently received Sh7 billion through three different bank accounts in his name at Rafiki Microfinance Bank. He received the property between 2013 and 2020 in Nairobi while knowing that it formed part of the proceeds of crimes.
On the charge of conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, Gachagua is charged alongside William Wahome, Anne Ruo, Julianne Makaa, Samuel Ireri, Grace Wambui, Lawrence Kimaru, Irene Wambui, David Nyangi and M/S Rapid Medical Supplies Limited.
The 10 are accused of conspiring to defraud Nyeri county of Sh27 million between May 2015 and December 2016.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
