March 19, 2024

You are Free but! Court Tells Saburi

Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi at a Mombasa court recently. Image; (Courtesy)

By The Coast newspaper Team
Email: thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Kilifi Deputy Governor (DG) Gideon Saburi was on Thursday released on Sh200,000 cash bail or an alternative sh500,000 bond.
A Mombasa court on Thursday ruled that the Saburi will go on an extra 14 days of quarantine, before the trial.
Mombasa Chief Magistrate Elvis Michieka also ruled that the DG deposits all his travel documents including passport before his release and that he will not contact any witnesses.
“The accused is required to self-quarantine for 14 days at his house starting today, if he fails the court will be at liberty to cancel his bail,” Said Michieka
The deputy   governor has now spent almost 27 days in confinement both at the Coast General Hospital during the forced isolation period and 13 in police custody.
He is facing charges for defying the COVID-19 self-quarantine order.
Last week, a Mombasa court dismissed an application requesting to detain Saburi at Manyani Prisons.
The state had wanted him be held at Manyani Maximum Security Prison, to enable police conclude investigations.
On Thursday, this week the state requested a Mombasa law court to allow the DG remain in custody for 10 more days in order to conclude its investigations. The accused was charged on April 9 with exposing the public to an infectious disease by failing to enter into self-quarantine after flying back from Germany.
Charges he, however, denied before a Mombasa law court.
“If convicted the accused will be required to pay a fine of Sh30,000 or serve a three-year jail term,” said Judge Michieka.
On Thursday defense lawyer George Kithi claimed his client has never tested positive for the virus.

Defence lawyer George Kithi. Image ; (Courtesy)

The lawyer further challenged the validity of an unsigned report from the Kenya Medical Research Institute that confirmed positive results.
The report tabled by the state led by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Alloise Kemo on Thursday indicated that the accused tested positive for Covid-19 on March 21.
According to state counsel Kemo the positive results indicated in the medical report led him being quarantined at the Coast General Hospital for 14 days.

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