Trial Magistrate, Douglas Ogoti, on Wednesday ordered the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to stop tweeting about former Nairobi Governor, Evans Kidero's Ksh 213 million corruption case.
This is after the defense lawyers complained that the DPP's tweets elicited comments that were affecting the accused in the case.
The defense added that the tweets undermined the integrity of those charged in the case, Citizen Digital reports.
“When the highest person in the office of the DPP tweets and the tweet generate such responses, then the DPP is not promoting a fair trial,” Paul Ngarwa, a lawyer revealed.
The defense lawyers added that posting of the tweets was not professional and that the magistrate needed to take action.
On his part, the magistrate ordered the DPP to stop posting tweets regarding the case.
"I've considered the submissions made before me. Due to the seriousness and the integrity of the trial and dignity of the accused persons, I order that no parties involved in this case should engage the media. This does not include the mainstream media," he stated.
The lawyer representing the DPP, however, opposed the application by the defense citing that the DPP was trying to be transparent.
“We are supposed to be transparent and to be accountable, this particular submission that we should be gagged has no basis,” DPP's lawyer, Joseph Riungu noted.
