A family is embroiled in a court battle after attacking Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho's powerful and elder brother Abubakar Joho, popularly known as Abu.
Businessman Farid Ahmed Swale together with his son Amir Farid Ahmed are entangled in the court battle with Abu over a social media post that was made on November 21, 22, and 23, 2020.
Justice Anne Ong’injo presiding over the case on Wednesday, August 5 was told that the two accused of falsely claiming that the elder Joho hired goons to carry out an attack.
The charge sheet further indicates that the two knowingly published false information on a Facebook page known as Tycoonnews Kenya at their residence in Lantana Coral Drive, Nyali sub-county.
Farid's son Amir is also accused of giving a false account alleging that the governor's brother sent goons to assault him which prompted the police to act.
Joho's brother stated the social media post damaged his image and reputation.
The duo sensed pending arrest over their social post and moved to the High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
Husna Rashid Al-Naaman, the wife of the accused businessman filed the appeal claiming that the two had traveled to United Arab Emirates (UAE), where Farid was undergoing treatment.
“The applicants in their absence, and without their knowledge, were charged in court with an offense arising out of a complaint lodged by Joho,” the appeal stated.
The police opposed the appeal on grounds that the two had skipped court. The officer investigating the case said the two were charged on January 27 but failed to appear in court to plead to the charges and hence an arrest warrant was issued.
The duo went further to sue Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, and Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji. They claimed that the police wrongly accused them of skipping court yet they were out of the country.
The court, however, blocked their arrest but pushed the battle with Joho's family to August 31.
