Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho sentenced to 60 days in jail
Joho is in trouble after he was sentenced to 60 days in jail.
The flamboyant county boss has been slapped with the jail term or pay a fine of KSh250,000 for overseeing the demolition of a private property on May 2019, disobeying a court order.
In the case, businessman Ashok Doshi and his wife, Pratibha, filed an application at the Environment and Land Court seeking to have Joho and Changamwe MCA Bernard Ogutu cited for contempt of court.
The businessman and his wife argued that the duo had disobeyed the court order restraining the county government of Mombasa from trespassing on a parcel of land belonging to them.
Doshi and his wife wanted the Governor and the MCA summoned to court to show cause why they should not be committed to civil jail for six months for disobeying court orders.
“Mr Joho has not denied that he was on the suit property, neither has he denied inciting the persons present to undertake acts of vandalism complained of,” Justice Silas Munyao had ruled in February 2020.
Justice Munyao further noted that Governor Joho had not sworn any affidavit to refute that he was in the parcel of land.
“There is overwhelming evidence that there was at very least a visitation of the property by Mr Joho and Mr Ogutu contrary to orders of the court. The visitation led to the demolition of the gate and wall of the applicant,” the Judge said in 2020.
Justice Munyao had ruled that being Mombasa County chief executive, Joho cannot escape responsibility for acts of disobedience.
Through lawyer Willis Oluga, the businessman and his wife argued that on May 10 2019, county government officials led by Governor Joho, accompanied by some leaders from the county, hired goons who invaded the land and demolished the gate in breach of the court order.
REUTERS
