Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is likely to spend six months in jail if he fails to take advantage of the last chance offered to him to redeem himself.
According to a report by The Standard, the court gave the governor a 21-day ultimatum to issue his mitigation statement before he is sentenced.
Joho, together with his co-accused, Changamwe Member of the County Assembly Bernad Ogutu, ignored a court order that restrained the County Government of Mombasa from trespassing on a parcel of land belonging to Mombasa businessman Ashok Doshi and his wife, Pratibha.
The businessman then filed an application in court seeking to have Joho and the MCA cited for disobeying the orders and have them jailed for six months as per the law.
Through lawyer Willis Oluga, the businessman and his wife argued that on May 10, 2019, county government officials led by Joho and some leaders from Mombasa hired goons who invaded the land and demolished the gate in breach of the court order.
Last month, the High Court found Joho guilty of the offense for ignoring a court order that barred him from interfering with the property.
Justice Sila Munyao of the Environment and Land Court in Mombasa had ruled that the county boss was liable to answer before the court given that he had not refuted the accusations made by the businessman.
“There is overwhelming evidence that there was at the very least a visitation of the property by Joho and Ogutu contrary to orders of the court. The visitation led to the demolition of the gate and wall of the applicant.
"Joho has not denied that he was on the suit property, neither has he denied inciting the persons present to undertake acts of vandalism complained of,” the judge ruled.
Joho had proceeded to demolish a wall that was under contention between the tycoon and Changamwe High School.
The complainant had also argued that the leaders then held a public rally where they accused Doshi of being a land grabber despite him having proper documentation for the land in question.
The case is set for mention on July 2, 2020.
