Details have emerged on how Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i evaded paying a Ksh200,000 fine as ordered by the High Court on March 29, 2018.
Alongside then Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet and Director of Immigration (now Public Works PS) Gordon Kihalangwa, Matiang'i was found guilty of contempt of court in the case of self-styled National Resistance Movement (NRM) leader Miguna Miguna.
It was ordered that the fine of Ksh200,000 each be deducted from their April 2018 salaries but documents filed in court confirmed that the amount was never remitted.
According to court documents referenced by The Standard, Court Deputy Registrar L.A Mumassabba wrote to the National Treasury seeking to have Matiang'i surcharged in line with the ruling but failed to receive a reply.
Mumassabba also wrote to the National Treasury Principal Secretary in futile efforts to have the fine paid.
Contempt of court attracts a prison sentence of six months or a fine of Ksh200,000.
Justice George Odunga had found the trio guilty after they failed to produce fiery advocate Miguna Miguna in court after his arrest.
Odunga's orders were ignored as Miguna was deported to Canada via Dubai later that week.
Boinnet, who has since left the Police Service, also failed to pay up with the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) informing Mumassabba that they did not process the IG's salary.
“We acknowledge receipt of the above-referenced letter. We would, however, like to draw your attention that the Inspector General, being a State Officer, his salaries are not processed by the National Police Service Commission and as such we are unable to comply with your directive pursuant to the court order,” NPSC Chief Executive Vincent Onyango wrote in a letter dated April 26, 2018.
Miguna's latest attempts to return to the country has proved frustrating despite the government promising to comply with orders to have his re-entry facilitated.
The barrister was barred from boarding two different flights from Frankfurt, Germany and Paris, France to Nairobi on Tuesday, January 7 with the airlines citing a request from the Kenyan government.
"What we are doing to Miguna is immoral and we cannot be proud of it as a nation," Miguna's lawyer John Khaminwa told Kenyans.co.ke on the night of January 8, noting that his client was still stranded in Europe.
