Paul Mackenzie’s Lawyer Abandons Him.
Paul Mackenzie’s Lawyer Abandons Him: A Mombasa court on Tuesday directed Shakahola massacre prime suspect Paul Mackenzie and co-accused to be served with witness statements in a children’s cruelty and torture case.
The directive was issued after Mackenzie’s lawyer Wycliffe Makasembo failed to appear in court to legally represent the accused.
The court while announcing the lawyer’s absence, did not state the reason behind Makasembo’s failure to appear in court.
Notably, The accused will still remain in custody until their case is heard and determined after allowing the prosecution’s application to oppose their release on bond.
The judge’s statement, “Having considered the nature of offences that the accused persons are charged with and the need to safeguard the best interests of the children who are witnesses in this matter and whom the accused may or have authority over, I find that these are compelling reasons to warrant all the accused persons to be denied bond at this point,”
Mackenzie and his 38 co-accused are being charged with 17 counts of offences under the Children Act 2012, the Prevention of Torture Act 2017, and the Basic Education Act.
The charges are; two counts of subjecting a child to torture with an alternative count of assault causing actual bodily harm, nine charges of cruelty to a child, and six counts of infringing a child’s right to education.
The prosecution, “All 39 accused persons denied all the charges levelled against them. The accused persons allegedly committed the offences on unknown dates between 2019 and 2023 at Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County,”
The matter will be mentioned on May 2, 2024, for confirmation of affidavits and set a hearing date.
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