Kenyan controversial blogger Cyprian Nyakundi may be headed for tough times after a bank that accused him of extortion hired UK lawyers in the case.
A report by the Daily Nation indicated that the Victoria Commercial Bank had enlisted the services of London-based Schillings law firm that is also representing Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle against a British tabloid Mail on Sunday.
The firm was named the top-ranking law firm for the second year in a row by Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guide 2019, as one of the leading law firms in defamation/reputation management.
The firm is known for its no-nonsense approach to defamation cases with it's most recent publicised action being a notice it sent out threatening action against media outlets that publish photos from the Prince Harry's new home in Canada. Mail on Sunday is in court for publishing a private letter that Markle had sent to her father.
Victoria Bank's move to enlist the firm has only proved how serious it is on handling the matter in which the blogger was allegedly soliciting Ksh17 million from the lender to pull down a story it had published in October 2019.
Nyakundi and a colleague, Emmanuel Nyamweya Ong'era, had just received Ksh1 Million from the victims as a downpayment of Ksh17.5 million when they were arrested, the DCI said.
The blogger had allegedly initiated a conversation with the bank's top executives in January 2020 and asked them for money in order for him to pull down the story.
It was at around that time that the executives reported him to Gigiri Police Station and investigations into the matter opened.
The detectives also revealed that the bank's bosses had maintained conversations with Nyakundi and had promised to pay him the money on Monday, January 20. That was when the police laid a trap at Westgate Mall and captured him.
In a statement that the bank released in connection with the extortion saga, it explained that it had unsuccessfully pleaded with the blogger to delete the story.
“He has failed to remove the blogs and has published additional defamatory posts. As a result, contempt-of-court proceedings have been issued against him,” read the statement in part.
The blogger is set to be charged on Friday, January 24, with extortion.
