Trial of diplomat fails to proceed

By LUCIANNE LIMO

Nairobi, Kenya: The trial of a Venezuelan diplomat charged with the murder of their acting ambassador in Kenya will now proceed after it stalled when one of his co-accused lacked a lawyer.

Last week, trial Judge Rosalyn Korir directed the state to find a lawyer for Moses Kiprotich, a guard who worked at the embassy after his lawyer withdrew from the case. On Monday, the judge set the hearing date of the murder trial for June 3 after a lawyer was appointed to represent the guard.

The lawyer representing Kiprotich, Evans Ondieki stepped down after he was appointed a minister in the County Government of Nairobi. Ondieki told the court that he would not be able to continue to represent his client considering the amount of responsibility he is tasked with at the county.

The diplomat, Dwight Sagaray and his co-accused Mohammed Ahmed are charged that on the night of July 26 at the residence of the Venezuelan Embassy in Runda Estate, they murdered Ambassador Olga Fonseca.  The envoy was found strangled to death at her official residence in Nairobi on 27 July. Three security guards also charged in connection with the murder of the Venezuelan Ambassador were released on bail.