A lawyer who owns a firm that the struggling Mumias Sugar Company owes Sh76 million claims she was threatened to withdraw her lawsuits opposing the leasing of the business to the Sarrai Group.
In a letter to the High Court deputy registrar, Jackline Kimeto of Kimeto & Associates Advocates claims that she was subjected to “extreme duress and threats to her life, citizenship, and personal liberty by state officers acting with a view to assisting the 1st and 2nd Respondents and their proxies in this suit.”
One of Mumias Sugar’s debtors is Kimeto’s law office, which defended the miller in legal proceedings.
The firm sent a notice to the High Court on Friday, requesting to withdraw the case due to “circumstances beyond its control.”
Read: Court Orders Tycoon Jaswant Rai To Pay Butali Sugar Sh507 Million In Damages
But Kimeto has since requested the cancellation of the notices of withdrawal in a second letter dated September 2, 2023, addressed to the Deputy Registrar of the High Court Commercial and Tax Division.
“The petitioner is currently being subjected to force, threats of imprisonment, coercion, threats to her life, and extreme psychological pressure to withdraw her Petitions filed with this court on the 20th and 22nd of March, 2019 without any mention as to how her money decrees shall be settled in full,” the notice reads.
Kimeto requests that the court provide her a mention date as soon as the court calendar allows and on a priority basis.
She previously expressed concern, saying that the police had threatened to arrest her if she did not show up for questioning and turn in the necessary paperwork.
Read Also: Billionaire Jaswant Rai Seeks to Withdraw Mumias Sugar Case After Ruto Threats
She asserted that she had been summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and that the threats were intended to thwart the legal actions that are being pursued in several courts.
This comes days after business tycoon Jaswant Rai withdrew all cases involving the struggling miller.
Rai and his West Kenya Sugar Company withdrew four cases related to the running of the sugar factory in notices filed before the Court of Appeal and the High Court.
Rai’s move came shortly after his abduction and threats from President William Ruto.
“Msikuwe na wasiwasi niko hapo chonjo kabisa. Nitahakikisha hii kitu inakaa chonjo. Na wakora wote wako katikati. Msikuwe na wasiwasi ati kuna mtu atakuja kutuongelesha kingereza. Sijui mhindi fulani. Sijui nani ni nani. Sijui mwingine ananiambia Rai. Rai Nani? Hapana hiyo haiwezekani.”
Loosely translates to: “Do not be worried, I am alert to make sure everything will be okay. There is no one who will meddle. Do not be worried about someone coming to talk to us. Someone was telling me Rai. Who is Rai? No, that is not possible.”
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