Plea bargain negotiations involving former Migori Governor Okoth Obado have collapsed following disagreements between the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The fallout has forced the Anti-Corruption Court to step in and set a hearing to determine the way forward.
The court heard that despite a meeting held on October 30 at the DPP’s office, as previously directed, the parties were unable to reach a consensus on the terms of the proposed plea agreement. EACC officials told the court that the discussions broke down after both sides failed to agree on the interpretation of the court’s earlier directions.
“We raised our reservations regarding the plea agreement before this court. However, we agreed to engage in further negotiations to ensure the agreement is drafted according to the law. Unfortunately, those talks collapsed,” an EACC representative said.
The EACC has since requested the court to determine whether the plea agreement presented by the DPP meets the legal requirements set under Kenya’s anti-corruption laws.
Defence lawyers supported the EACC’s position, confirming that the meeting took place but ended without progress. “I do confirm we met at the DPP’s office on the 30th and support the position presented by Nora. We pray for a ruling or decision on how parties should proceed,” one of the defence lawyers stated.
Another lawyer representing the accused noted that the disagreement arose from differing interpretations of the law governing plea bargains.
The court has now scheduled a hearing for December 8 to determine the way forward on the contested plea bargaining application. The ruling is expected to clarify how such agreements should be structured in corruption-related cases moving forward.
