Cotu boss Atwoli sues deputy Muchai for half a billion

Central Organisation of Trade Unions boss Francis Atwoli has sued his suspended deputy, George Muchai, for defamation and is demanding half a billion shillings as compensation.

The Cotu boss says that Mr Muchai defamed him over claims that he embezzled the workers’ union funds.

Mr Atwoli is also offended by Mr Muchai’s comments that he has a “medicine man” and is seeking Sh500 million in the event the court finds his deputy liable for defamation.

Mr Atwoli argues that the words were meant to portray him as someone who uses witchcraft, and that the words were meant to injure his reputation and long standing service at the helm of Cotu.

“Mr Muchai alleged that I misappropriated Cotu funds while knowing that it was a lie. He has conspired with media houses to malign my name and reputation and to paint me as someone who cannot be trusted and unfit to hold public office,” says Mr Atwoli in court papers.

The alleged defamatory statements were meant to portray him as a conman, fraudster, crook, thief, criminal and a person who misused his position and influence to steal workers’ money.

Mr Atwoli wants orders barring Mr Muchai, who is also the Kabete MP, from making defamatory statements against him and for the Nation Media Group from publishing the allegations.

“The malicious words and statements have exposed my personal and professional standing to public scandal, ridicule, contempt, and embarrassment which continues to cause me pain,” the statement states.

He adds that while issuing the statements, Mr Muchai knew that they would be used in the media and in turn passed on to his family, friends and colleagues.

READ: Cotu ousts Muchai for engaging in ‘partisan politics’

He says that on October 4, Mr Muchai caused to be published the statement that “Mr Atwoli and his medicineman will no longer be able to assist him,” and that on October 25, he published a statement reading “Atwoli made Sh7 million from land sale.”

Mr Atwoli says that he has never visited a medicineman or practised witchcraft, and that the transaction involving the Sh7 million land in Mombasa was entirely handled by Mr Muchai’s office.

Mr Muchai says in his papers that besides Mr Atwoli acknowledging receiving the cash, documents in the hands of detectives show that two cars, a Mercedes Benz and a Toyota Prado, were bought with proceeds from the sale of Cotu property.

The battle for control of millions of shillings and property as well as Cotu elections scheduled for 2016 is believed to be at the centre of the standoff between Mr Atwoli and Mr Muchai, which has also sucked in the Registrar of Trade Unions.

Last week the registrar rejected the dismissal of Mr Muchai from Cotu, saying he was not given “his constitutional right” to be heard before being kicked out.