Court stops Mithika Linturi's arrest over claims of forged degree

Meru Senator Mithika Linturi. A court has barred him from accessing his palatial Runda estate home, as his domestic dispute with his wife, Maryanne Keitany, escalates. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • High Court Judge Enoch Chacha Mwita on Monday stopped the Director of Public Prosecutions, the anti-graft commission and the Inspector General of Police from summoning, arresting and charging the legislator.
  • The judge also ordered that the legislator should not be declared unfit to hold public office pending the hearing and determination of a case he had filed.

The High Court has temporarily barred the arrest and prosecution of Meru Senator Mithika Linturi over allegations of having forged academic papers.

High Court Judge Enoch Chacha Mwita on Monday issued the order stopping the Director of Public Prosecutions, the anti-graft commission and the Inspector General of Police from summoning, arresting and charging the legislator.

ONGOING CASE

The judge also ordered that the legislator should not be declared unfit to hold public office pending the hearing and determination of a case he had filed.

Mr Linturi had moved to court to stop his prosecution over allegations of possessing forged academic documents.

His troubles started when the University of Nairobi deregistered him and also dropped his name from last year's graduation ceremony, over allegations that he used a forge degree to gain entry into the course.

In a separate suit last year, Justice George Odunga declined to order the university to allow him to graduate.