A court in Nakuru has declined an application by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODDP) asking a judge to recuse himself from a case involving Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago.
Mandago is a person of interest in the Finland scholarship scandal that saw parents lose millions.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, September 11, Judge Peter Ndege defended his decision to issue arrest warrants against five witnesses, including Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, saying that they failed to honor court summons. The other witnesses in the case include outgoing deputy governor Jon Barorot, outgoing county secretary Edwin Bet, and outgoing County Attorney Stephen Lel.
The presiding judge declined the application saying, “There is no reason for me to recuse myself. The witnesses of the concerned hearing have severally failed to attend court, which has caused adjournment despite the court allocating ample opportunity and time at the expense of other matters.”
The ODPP had filed a petition arguing that Judge Ndege had portrayed bias and impartiality when he issued the arrest warrants.
Prosecutor David Okach argued that “the warrants were meant to intimidate and terrorize witnesses.”
Nonetheless, the warrants against the witnesses have been lifted and they were present during the reading of the verdict.
Also read: Profile of Bold Gen Z Graduate Who Lectured Mandago
Mandago Implicated in Finland Scholarship Scam
Senator Jackson Mandago hit headlines in August 2023 after he was implicated in the Finland scholarship program that turned out to be a scam. He was dramatically arrested, charged, and later released on a Ksh 500,000 cash bail.
President William Ruto at the time ordered the arrest of all parties involved in the scam that fleeced families. Some parents recounted that they had to sell properties like tractors in a bid to give their children a chance at a better life through the promised scholarship.
Also read: Mandago Arrested After Ruto’s Order
Senator Mandago and other accused persons are accused of conspiring to steal Ksh. 1.1 billion from a local bank registered under the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund.
The funds were meant to cater to the university fees of students who had signed up for the program to study in Finland and Canada.
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