ODM official freed as poll misconduct charge dropped

ODM director of communication Mr Philip Etale being held at the Kilifi law courts on 7/3/2016 after being arrested at Malindi for allegedly having been found in possession of voting materials for the Malindi by election. The director was arrested at the midnight of Monday before he was moved to Kilifi county police CID headquarters where he was later taken to Kilifi law courts where he was to be charged. PHOTO BY JOSEPH MASHA/STANDARD

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) director of communications has been acquitted of electoral malpractices for lack of evidence.

Philip Etale, who was accompanied by his lawyer Maurice Kilonzo, was set free by Kilifi Resident Magistrate Evelyn Wasike for lack of evidence linking him to alleged electoral crimes in the just-concluded Malindi by-election.

On March 7, the court rejected a State application to detain Etale because investigations into the alleged electoral crimes were incomplete.

Consequently, the case collapsed when a prosecution official representing the State told the court that they found no incriminating evidence.