Migori Governor Okoth Obado to be remanded at Industrial Area GK prison for 11 more days after High rejected his application for bail on Thursday.
Judge Jessie Lessit ruled that the High Court was obliged to deny him bail on accounts of public influence, security and possible interference with the witnesses accounts. Obado together with the two other suspects (Michael Oyamo, Caspel Obiero) to appear before the court on October 8, 2018.
Obado has been in police custody since Friday, September 21 when he was arrested in connection with the murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno and detained at Gigiri Police Station in Nairobi.
On Monday, September 24 he was charged with the murder of Sharon, a count he denied. The court directed he be detained at the Industrial Area Remand Prison pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
During the hearing of Obado’s bail application on Tuesday, senior investigation officer from the homicide unit, Clement Mwangi opposed the governor’s release arguing that there was a high likelihood of him interfering with and intimidating key prosecution witnesses if released on bail.
Mr. Mwangi had further submitted that investigations were still ongoing and that investigators would be proceeding back to Migori County offices for further investigations which include interrogating Obado’s close family members, and county employees.
“The release of the accused person on bail pending hearing and determination of the trial is not absolute and is at the discretion of the court,” Mwangi said.
The officer had indicated that in the view of the intricate relationship between Obado and confessions recorded by some suspects, it would be extremely dangerous to release the accused on bail adding that he is a serious danger to the society and witnesses that may appear in the matter.
Lawyer Antony Oyugi had predicted that it will be hard for the high court to grant bail owing to Obado’s position/influence in this matter;
The court grants him bail, Oyamo is also granted bail and so is Caspal Obiero. Obado resumes his duties as Governor while Oyamo and Obiero still work as his PAs. Prosecution witnesses include staff under Obado’s employment. The prosecution has also indicated that investigations aren’t concluded. Sharon is set to be buried anytime from now. Meanwhile Obado’s supporters and ‘haters’ are sizing each other up both outside the court and in the villages. These bail applications are ‘complicated!’– Antony Oyugi
”when he appears in court on the 8th Oct 2018 his lawyers will have to make a fresh application for bail. The application will be argued out and the prosecution will of course oppose with arguments to support their position. The court will have to deliver a ruling on this. These guys should expect to be out of remand AFTER the eighth. Not on the eighth”.– Oyugi added
