Economy

State barred from going after Joho for ‘fake’ papers

joho

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The State has been stopped from arresting and prosecuting Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho over his academic papers.

The High Court further stopped police, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney-General from continued harassment of the ODM deputy party leader concerning the papers.

The State breached and violated Mr Joho’s rights by starting fresh investigations over his academic credentials, the court ruled.

Justice Eric Ogola, Thursday said that the investigations were ill- timed, politically instigated and that the intended prosecution against the governor was not consistent with constitutional values.

He wondered why a complaint against Mr Joho over an alleged forged examination result slip was made this year yet there was a similar complaint over fraudulent acquisition of a degree certificate made in 2013.

“Why did the complainant make the complaint in 2013…this to court seems mischievous,” said Justice Ogola.

The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) said that the certificate showing that Mr Joho attained a C+ in 1992 was fake amid claims that he gained entry at the University of Nairobi, dropped studies and subsequently transferred to Kampala International University using the forged results.

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