The High court in Mombasa has blamed Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Keriako Tobiko for deliberately delaying hearing of a case in which four women are charged for allegedly being members of al shababab.
Judge Dora Chepkwony said the DPP had made no effort to have the matter completed despite the four suspects Ummulkheir Abdullah, Mariam Said Aboud, Khadija Abubakar and Halima Aden having been in custody for the last three years.
She pointed out that DPP was making numerous application to counter other court proceedings ongoing in the court with the purpose of delaying the matter further.
“The DPP went ahead and preferred the suspects with similar charges to those that they had been facing and had already pleaded to them, charges which are being heard at the same time,” she said.
Dora issued orders to the lower court to have the matter heard and determined within the shortest time possible.
Justice Dora further dismissed an application by the state seeking to appeal against the lower court decision to have the suspects released on a bond of Sh 500,000 with a similar surety.
She ordered the suspects be set at liberty as ordered by the lower court.
