A case in which Nandi Governor Stephen Sang was accused of destroying tea bushes worth Sh2 million has taken a fresh twist after Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions preferred a fresh charge of assault against the county chief.
On Monday, Sang (pictured), who took a fresh plea, was slapped with an additional charge of assault. He was also charged with malicious damage to property, as well as incitement to violence.
Three counts
The governor is now facing three counts at the law courts, with the prosecution informing the court that the charge sheet presented on Sang in 2019 had been amended.
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“We have amended the charge sheet,” said Sylvester Thuo, the prosecutor in the case.
The court heard that June 8, 2019, the governor assaulted an individual at Kibware Tea Estate using blunt objects, which left the victim with injuries to his neck.
In the first charge, Sang is accused of destroying tea bushes valued at Sh2 million and belonging to Kibware Tea Estate.
Sang has also been accused of inciting locals to violence by telling them to arm themselves.
He denied the charges before Kisumu Senior Resident Magistrate Beryl Omollo and was released on Sh500,000 cash bail.
During the course of the proceedings, the governor, through his lawyer June Maasai, told the court they had not been served with the amended charge sheet.
Yesterday, however, the court directed that the case goes through a pre-trial. The case will be mentioned on March 11.
The governor will be expected to appear in court for the proceedings in person.
