The Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga Mulele has set free tycoon Yagnesh Devani in the Ksh 7.6 billion petroleum products case.
Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Harrison Barasa was on Monday informed that the prosecution does not want to pursue the case since it does not have witnesses and documentary evidence to sustain the case.
The Devani case started in 2008 before the businessman fled to the United Kingdom.
The prosecution told the court that its key witnesses were reluctant to testify in the case and that others had died.
Devani’s case began in February this year when he took plea after 13 years in the United Kingdom. The government of Kenya had applied for extradition orders and Devani was deported to Kenya to face the criminal charges.
He had been accused of using his company trading as a Triton Petroleum Company Limited to swindle the government of Ksh 7.6 billion.
The case has been withdrawn under section 87A of the Criminal Procedure Code which means Devani may still be prosecuted in future if new evidence is availed.
Elsewhere, Advocates have been called upon to offer more pro bono services to the less fortunate in the society.
Speaking during the Legal Awareness Week at Milimani Law Courts, Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo and High Court Judge Eric Ogola said sometimes humanity should take center stage.
This even as a clarion call to stop extrajudicial killings and abductions of citizens reverberated. The Legal Awareness week is being held under the theme Empowering Citizen Participation.
By Ruth Wamboi