Case against Murgor sisters suspended after blackmail cited

The High Court in Nairobi has suspended the hearing of a criminal case against the Murgor sisters.

Justice Anthony Mrima ordered the magistrate's court in Kibra from hearing the assault case of Ms Stephanie Chepkosgei and Ms Cheryll Chelimo and their friends Messrs Samuel Ramdas and Patrick Kipng'etich.

At the same time, one of the Ndichu brothers, Edward, did not show up in court to answer assault charges. His lawyer said he had tested positive for Covid-19.

The cases stem from the altercation between the Murgor sisters and Edward, together with his twin brother Paul at the Emara Ole-Sereni Hotel in October last year.

Ms Chepkosgei, Ms Chelimo, Mr Ramdas and Mr Kipng'etich were charged with assault and causing bodily harm and malicious damage to property.

In the case, they claim the charges were to coerce them to withdraw their complaint against the Ndichu brothers and Ms Munyra Hassan.

Ms Chepkosgei and Ms Chelimo say they are victims of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

“They were maliciously charged to coerce the said petitioners, who are the real victims of SGBV, to blackmail them into withdrawing their complaints,” their lawyer Phillip Murgor said.

Mr Murgor said the Ndichu twins and Ms Hassan are wealthy and politically connected.

Mr Murgor faulted DPP Noordin Haji for agreeing to charge all those who were involved in the altercation.

“There has also been sustained and coordinated pressure from the parties to intimidate the petitioners into withdrawing their complaints through orchestrated cyberbullying on social media,” he said.

On the night of October 16 and 17, 2021, Ms Chepkosgei says the Ndichu brothers made unwanted sexual advances at her and she turned them down.

“This prompted them to embark on obscene insults after which the second interested party brutally assaulted me and my boyfriend Mr Ramdas," she says.

Ms Chepkosgey added they were both violently strangled, almost to death.