Lawyers who were representing Malindi lawmaker Aisha Jumwa on Wednesday, August 11, caused a standoff in court after they protested against the legislator over their dues.
The lawyers demanded that the Jumwa pay them their dues before handing over crucial files in her case that had stalled.
According to reports by the Standard, lawyers Danstan Omari, Jared Magolo, Shadrack Wambui and Titus Kirui refused to surrender defence records they had planned on using until the MP paid them.
Chief Magistrate Edna Nyaloti had summoned the lawyers on Wednesday over the stalled case.
She ordered the state to provide the new defence lawyers led by Cliff Ombeta and Duncan Osoro with new documents on the Jumwa case.
The prosecution accused the lawyers of stalling the case with their antics on Wednesday.
Omari had petitioned the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to investigate the conduct of Magistrate Nyaloti while handling the Ksh20 million graft case against Jumwa and six others.
In a letter dated Tuesday, August 10 addressed to Chief Justice Martha Koome, Omari wants the JSC to investigate Nyaloti citing bias against the defence team.
He gave an example of the Monday, August 9, court proceedings where Jumwa was presented with fresh graft charges by the prosecution team including forgery, fraud in procurement, and money laundering.
"Hon. Nyaloti declined our humble request to adjourn the matter and insisted that the case must proceed notwithstanding the fact that she is on transfer to Nakuru Law Courts as the head of the station," read part of the letter.
"That as a result of your honours show of appreciation for the predicament the defence found themselves in, we (the defence team) was forced to apply to the court to be discharged from representing the accused in the matter."
Notably, this came after the lawyers walked out of court accusing the prosecution of ambushing them with new charges on Monday, August 9.
