Lawyers Danstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta have stopped representing Rashid Echesa in the case in which the former Cabinet Secretary is accused of extortion.
Echesa is accused of extorting Kakamega Governor Fernandes Baraza of Sh250 million.
He is also accused of staged abduction.
Omari in a letter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Monday April 15 said he had withdrawn his legal services to the former minister in the case, without divulging further details.
Echesa was last month arrested over claims of self-abduction and extortion. He was accused of jointly with others extorting Sh240 million from Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.
“Kindly note that we are no longer acting for the above-named person. Any communication with regards to him should be directed to him or his representatives,” the lawyer told the investigative agency.
The court on April 3 granted Echesa a personal bond of Sh2 million and directed him to appear before the police once he is discharged from the hospital before April 23.
On March 27, Echesa was arrested and detained at the Muthaiga police station after the court granted police more time to conduct investigations.
Days later, Justice Diana Kavedza in Kibera issued orders stopping the police from arresting or detaining Echesa.
The order followed an application for anticipatory bail that was made by both Omari and Ombeta for their client.
The judge had directed that the lawyers should present Echesa before the DCI for interrogation before he is charged. The court directed that to happen before April 22.
Echesa’s handler William Simiyu Matere alias Elijah appeared before Kibera Senior Principal Magistrate Ann Mwangi where he was charged with two counts of demanding property with menace and conspiracy to commit a felony.
According to the prosecution, it is alleged that on diverse dates between December, 2023 and 18th day of March, 2024 at unknown place within the Republic of Kenya, jointly with others not before court, with menaces demanded a total sum of Sh240 million from Fernandez Odinga Barasa.
The other count states that on the same date he jointly with others not before court conspired together to commit a felony namely demanding property with menaces and extorted from Barasa over Sh240 million.
He denied the charges and was freed on a bond of Sh2 million with a surety of the same amount.
The prosecution intends to call four witnesses.
Echesa is said to have staged the abduction at Windsor Hotel in Nairobi.
Police say they are ready to charge him.
Echesa has since blamed president William Ruto’s handler Farouk Kibet for his alleged tribulations. Kibet denies the claims.
