The High Court has overturned the acquittal of former Sports Cabinet Secretary and the current Chairman of Kenya Water Towers Agency Rashid Echesa in the Ksh.39 billion fake arms case.
In a judgment delivered by High Court Judge Kanyi Kimondo, it was found that the trial magistrate erred in acquitting Echesa based on a lack of testimony from certain witnesses.
According to a statement by Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), Judge Kimondo ruled that the prosecution had presented a strong case against Echesa and that the trial court should have found him with a case to answer, hence putting him on his defense rather than acquitting him.
The judge directed Echesa to appear in person before the Milimani Chief Magistrate on 4th March 2024, for mention and directions on his defense hearing in the arms matter.
Echesa had been charged alongside Daniel Otieno, Clifford Okoth, Kennedy Oyoo and Chrispin Oduor Odipo with conspiring to commit a felony, making a document without authority, obtaining money by false pretense, attempting to commit a felony, and uttering a false document in the Ksh.39 billion fake arm scandal.
