Court extends orders barring arrest of NTV journalists

Court extends orders barring arrest of NTV journalists

The High Court in Nairobi on Thursday extended orders barring the National Police Service from arresting or harassing Nation Media Group (NMG) general manager Linus Kaikai as well as journalists Larry Madowo and Ken Mijungu.

Justice Luka Kimaru ruled that the three need protection since they are living in fear of being arrested and as such, extended their anticipatory bail.

This comes after the judge granted the three an anticipatory bail of Ksh. 100,000 and barred the police from arresting them on Friday, February 2.

In his submissions, the prosecution counsel had objected the extension of the anticipatory bail granted to the three on grounds that police are not seeking to arrest any journalist for questioning and applied for the restraining order to be lifted.

The lawyer argued that the  judge cannot issue orders to stop a non-existent arrest.

The lawyer representing Kaikai, Mijungu and Madowo however scoffed at the prosecution’s application saying that the police are planning to arrest the three.

“Your Lordship, if the police are not looking for my clients, how did they know that they are in hiding,” posed lawyer Kounah James.

Mr. James further submitted that the government intends to make good its threat to crackdown on facilitators and journalists who covered the controversial swearing in of opposition leader Raila Odinga on January 30, citing the deportation of self declared NRM ‘general’ Miguna Miguna.

In an affidavit, Chief Inspector Anita Namatsi for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) swore that the journalists appeared at the department’s headquarters but dismissed allegations that the police are seeking to arrest the journalists.

The case will be mentioned on March 20, 2018.

Tags:

Linus Kaikai Larry Madowo Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Justice Luka Kimaru The Nairobi High Court Chief Inspector Anita Namatsi Ken Mijungu The National Police service

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