Nyali MP Mohammed Ali has been awarded Ksh1 million over a defamatory story published by The Star newspaper alleging that he had embezzled CDF funds.
The story, published in 2018 and headlined “Mohamed Ali CaUght up in CDF bursary Scam as he fires three”, indicated that the first-time MP had embezzled over Ksh25 million through irregular award of bursaries.
Ali moved to court demanding compensation arguing The Star‘s article was defamatory and that he was not aware of any scam as he had not been arrested or summoned by any authority including the EACC over the issue.
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“It was his evidence that he gave out the CDF bursary and he does not hire and fire government employee(s). That he is not a signatory of any account in the CDF and is only a patron. That no one from the Star group called him for any clarification,” ruled Magistrate S.G. Gitonga.
The story was published on March 10, 2018, and an apology, a right of reply and a clarification published May 12, 2019.
Reacting to the award, Ali urged upcoming journalists to “deal with the facts like we did”.
“I have been awarded Ksh1 million over a publication that was carried by The Star in which the newspaper alleged that I had been caught in the embezzlement of CDF funds. The story was found to have been defamatory. For the young upcoming Journalist deal with the facts like we did,” wrote Ali.
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