A Nairobi court has withdrawn the Ksh73.5 million graft case against former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, his four children, and several associates.
Reports indicate that in a ruling delivered on Friday, May 15, the court found that the DPP did not in any way abuse his power in settling the matter out of court.
The court also ordered the release of all passports and the refund of cash bail that had been deposited by the accused persons during the trial.
The case was reportedly withdrawn after the recovery of Ksh235 million said to have been paid back to the government.
Courts free former Governor Okoth Obado from corruption case
This followed an agreement between Obado and the DPP, where the former county boss forfeited assets worth Ksh235 million after entering into a plea bargain agreement.
According to the court reports, the forfeited assets were more than three times the value of the Ksh73.5 million allegedly linked to the charges before the criminal court.
The agreement was settled in High Court Asset Recovery Cases No. 32 of 2018 and No. 10 of 2022 had already fulfilled the purpose prosecutors intended to achieve through the criminal case.
Obado agreed to forfeit assets equivalent to three times the amount in question.
The former county governor surrendered eight parcels of land and two Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles, which brought the estimated value to the tune of Ksh235.6 million.
The case exposed a sharp disagreement between the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), with the anti-graft agency arguing that civil recovery proceedings and criminal prosecutions should be handled separately.
However, the court dismissed the argument.
