Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has for the second time on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, failed to appear for the hearing of his academic papers forgery case after he allegedly travelled to Turkey for urgent medical treatment.
His lawyers led by Thomas Ruto, Collins Kiprono and George Wajakoyah told trial magistrate Felix Kombo that the MP is not in the country hence his absence in court.
They tabled a confidential medical report from a purported doctor in Turkey and several letters to convince the court to adjourn the matter which was scheduled for a hearing.
However, trial magistrate Kombo declined the attempt to adjourn the case questioning the authenticity of the medical documents from the purported doctor from a hospital in Turkey.
He then ordered the Sudi's lawyers to avail additional medical documents to convince the court that truly the MP is not in the country on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
He further ordered them to produce travel documents showing that actually, MP Sudi travelled to Turkey as alleged.
While declining to grant an adjournment, the magistrate observed that the matter has been in court for the last six years and was last heard on October 27, 2021, adding that the previous hearing dates scheduled for the matter have been occasioned by the defence.
Kombo noted that Sudi's matter is one of those the Chief Justice Martha Koome wants to be concluded as it was filed in 2016.
The magistrate further rejected the attempt to have the matter adjourned on grounds that one of the Sudi's lawyers Wajakoyah is a presidential candidate in the forthcoming polls who is currently engaged in election campaigns.
The court also advises the defence team to seek instructions from the MP on whether the matter will proceed in his absence as he seeks medical treatment outside the country.
The prosecution has been ordered to avail the remaining five witnesses ahead of tomorrow's court session.
The state was ready to proceed with the hearing with three witnesses.
On March 1, 2022, the MP also failed to appear in court because he had tested positive for Covid-19 and was in quarantine.
In the case, the MP is facing three counts of forging his academic certificates.
Sudi is accused of presenting the forged education papers at the electoral commission when he sought nomination for the 2013 general election.
The prosecution said his Diploma Certificate in Business Management, allegedly issued by the Kenya Institute of Management, was forged.
He is also accused of forging his KCSE certificate purporting to be a genuine document issued by the Kenya National Examination council.
The court heard that he committed the offence on January 31, 2013, at IEBC offices in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
