Lawyers accuse DPP of holding them to ransom in Solai dam case

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is on the spot after the much-publicised Solai dam case failed to kick off for the umpteenth time.

Despite a Naivasha court setting three days for the case to be heard, there was no State Counsel, eliciting anger from the defence.

Nearly two years after the tragedy occurred, the matter had to once again be postponed by Naivasha Chief Magistrate Kennedy Bidali to Thursday.

In the case, the dam owner Perry Manusukh and eight others are charged with 48 counts of manslaughter and failing to prepare an environmental impact assessment report.

The other eight are Vinoj Jaya Kumar, Johnson Njuguna, Luka Kipyegen, Winnie Muthoni, Jacinta Were, Tomkin Odo Odhiambo, Williec Omondi and Lynette Cheruiyot.

Crucial date

Lawyer Fredrick Masinde, representing the first two accused, said the ODPP was holding them to ransom. He said they were prepared to proceed with the case but the State Counsel had failed to appear in court on the crucial date.

“We took this date back in September but the office of the DPP is missing in action and we feel like we as we are been held to ransom,” he said.

Lawyer F.I. Mburu told of the agony the suspects were undergoing as they waited for the case to kick off.