NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 19 – Businessman Jimi Wanjigi on Wednesday declined to take plea in case where he is accused of fraudulent land acquisition.
Through his lawyers led by Willis Otieno, Wanjigi cited the High Court order stopping his arrest and prosecution by either the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Otieno described the move to arrest and detain him as an abuse of the judicial process.
He further contended that the arrest warrant obtained by the State was in violation of the law since no summons has been issued against Wanjigi to appear in court or in a police station.
He said Justice Anthony Mrima issued the order on January 18, 2022, and the same was served on all the respondents including the IG and DPP.
The prosecution sought a request from court to verify the order and the matter was set for mention at 1.00pm.
Wanjigi was detained after an 18-hour standoff with security officers drawn from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) and other DCI detectives who pitched camp at his Kwacha House offices in Nairobi’s Westlands from Monday night.
“There is a bigger picture here and it has to do with elections, after all why is it that every election it is Jimi that is sought, 2017 I am being looked for, 2022 now suddenly, in between that there is no problem. It is about the elections. I am making the elections very uncomfortable for some people,” Wanjigi told journalists.
He added that he was being “targeted” by those against his presidential bid pointing out a similar incident during the last electioneering period where his Muthaiga home was raided over possession of illegal firearms.”
Wanjigi spent the night at the Kamukunji police station in Nairobi, with DCI boss George Kinoti saying he will be presented in court Wednesday.
Kinoti said the arrest is linked to the fraudulent acquisition of land on General Mathenge Road where his Kwacha offices are located.
The raid on Wanjigi’s offices elicited mixed reactions from a section of Kenyans and his supporters.
Earlier in the day, a group of Wanjigi’s supporters stormed his offices forcing police to lob teargas to disperse them.
The supporters who were protesting the raid arrived in three buses at the premises and demanded to be given access into the offices before being dispersed from the area by police.
Wanjigi a former ally of both President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga recently went on a political offensive against the Azimio la Umoja flagbearer saying he ‘betrayed’ other Nasa principles for engaging in a handshake deal with Kenyatta without consulting them.
