DCJ Mwilu arrest reeks of political witch-hunt, says ODM

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has termed the charges against embattled Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu as “frivolous, lacking in substance, and reeking of political witch-hunt.”

In a statement to newsrooms on Wednesday, ODM urged the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji not to allow his office to be susceptible to manipulation from both the state and non-state actors.

The opposition party alluded Justice Mwilu’s arrest to the Judiciary’s decision to annul the 2017 Presidential elections.

“In the matter of the DCJ Justice Mwilu, it is difficult not to be concerned about whether the DPP applied his mind to the requirements of Article 157(11) especially in light of Kenya’s recent History,” reads the statement from the office of the party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna.

“It is to be remembered that at the height of the fight for electoral justice the Judiciary came under sharp criticism with the Jubilee side promising to ‘revisit’ what they called ‘problems’ within the Judiciary following the annulment of the Presidential vote by the Supreme Court.”

Haji dismissed allegations that the arrest of Justice Mwilu is part of the “we shall revisit” threats that were made by the ruling party after the August 8 elections.

The party, in the statement, also lauded efforts by DPP Haji as well as the government in their dedication towards the war on corruption, further pledging their support.

“However, the Party wishes to remind him (DPP Haji) not to open his office to manipulation especially by state and non-state actors. This is especially so when the charges he brings appear openly frivolous, lacking in substance, and reeking of political witch-hunt,” adds the statement.

ODM also rubbished the DPP’s Tuesday evening statement on DCJ Mwilu’s arrest saying it did not inspire confidence, urging him to “speedily conclude this prosecution remembering always that Kenyans shall not forgive him should this turn out to be a politically instigated witch hunt.”

The statement from the party further questioned why Justice Mwilu’s case of criminal conduct was not treated the same way as that of her predecessor Nancy Baraza as well as that of retired Justice Philip Tunoi.

“The reasoning is simple really, to save the image of the institution by first cutting links with the accused person before taking them through the criminal trial process. One wonders why was this was not an option in the present case,” notes Sifuna.