Written by Cyrus Kimanga 📝
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has for the second time on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, failed to appear for the hearing of his academic papers forgery case after he allegedly travelled to Turkey for urgent medical treatment.
His lawyers led by Thomas Ruto, Collins Kiprono and George Wajakoyah told trial magistrate Felix Kombo that the MP travelled abroad for medical checkups.
They tabled a confidential letter from a purported doctor in Turkey in an attempt to convince the court to adjourn the matter which was scheduled for a hearing today.
However, trial magistrate Kombo declined the attempt to adjourn the case questioning the authenticity of the letter from the purported doctor in Turkey.
He proceeded to order Sudi’s lawyers to avail additional medical documents to affirm to the court that the MP flew outside the country for treatment.
He further ordered them to produce travel documents showing that actually, MP Sudi travelled to Turkey as alleged.
While declining to grant an adjournment, the magistrate observed that the matter has been in court for the last six years and was last heard on October 27, 202.
The court noted that Sudi’s matter lies in the list of cases that the Chief Justice Martha Koome directed to be concluded with speed as it was filed in 2016.
The magistrate further rejected the attempt to have the matter adjourned on grounds that one of the Sudi’s lawyers Wajakoyah is a presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections and as a result he needed to campaign.
The court threatened to have the hearing proceed tomorrow as it was scheduled in Hon. Sudi’s absentia unless the defence counsel supplies it with sufficient evidence that indeed Sudi is in Turkey seeking treatment.
The state was ready to proceed with the hearing with five more witnesses.
On March 1, 2022, the MP also failed to appear in court because he had tested positive for Covid-19 and was in quarantine.
In this case, the MP is facing three counts of forging his academic certificates.
Sudi is accused of presenting forged academic certificates at the IEBC during the 2013 general election.
The prosecution said his Diploma Certificate in Business Management, allegedly issued by the Kenya Institute of Management, was forged.
He is also accused of forging his KCSE certificate purporting to be a genuine document issued by the Kenya National Examination council.
The court heard that he committed the offence on January 31, 2013, at IEBC offices in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
