Kisumu police pursuing rogue advocate – Weekly Citizen

Police in Kisumu are pursuing a lawyer based in the town following a report made against him by an Irish priest who allegedly engaged his services but claims the lawyer disappeared soon after being paid.
Kisumu Central Police Station commanding officer Henry Simiyu has confirmed that the police had received the report from the Irish citizen identified as Rory Bracken, adding that they have launched a manhunt against the lawyer identified as Stephen Kopot.
Police were also holding a clerk working in the lawyer’s office in Kisumu whom they accused of being his accomplice.
The OCS said they were also looking for the advocate for another case reported by another woman who claimed she paid the lawyer Sh63,000 to represent her in court but he allegedly failed to appear and disappeared in the thin air.
“He has since gone into hiding and we have visited his home but he wasn’t there. We will track and arrest him,” the OCS vowed.
The police said they have reliable information that the lawyer had also failed to renew his practicing certificate for the last three years but continues to take up cases and represent clients in court illegally.
The OCS said this was according to information provided by the Law Society of Kenya to the Irish citizen who had written to the society to find out whether the advocate had been struck off the roll of advocates.
Trouble began for the Irish national on February 5 this year when he was arrested by immigration officers in Kisumu and later charged in court for allegedly being in the country illegally and working without a work permit, charges which he vehemently denied.
He would later be released on a Sh50,000 cash bail after being remanded at the Kodiaga prisons for 23 days because of the offence.

Gichuhi, the LSK chair.

It is this court case that the foreigner claims he decided to engage the lawyer whom he allegedly paid Sh40,000 to represent him.
“I met the lawyer through a friend who introduced me to him. I immediately paid him the agreed sum of Sh40,000 in cash to take up the matter, he soon disappeared without appearing in court as per the agreement and ignored my calls and wouldn’t respond to text messages from me,” said Rory.
Rory claimed that after the high court advocate failed to pick his calls for several days, he got increasingly frustrated and decided to report him to the police.
On Thursday last week, the Irishman also wrote to LSK, inquiring through e-mail about the status of the lawyer in regard to whether he was duly registered to practice law.
In one of the e-mail responses from a lady identified as Lillian Muriuki of LSK, seen by this writer, the law society confirmed that Kopot had not taken out his practicing certificate for three years and was therefore not allowed to practice law.
“From our records, he is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, however he has not taken out practicing certificate since 2016. He therefore is not authorised to practice law,” read part of the email from LSK official.
The email sent on Friday last week was a response to Rory’s earlier email which he wrote to LSK on Thursday last week about the advocate.
Only recently, Weekly Citizen stumbled on him on phone and the advocate confirmed that he was aware the police had raided his home but denied he had been officially summoned by the officers over any complaints lodged against him.
“They have not summoned me as required and I cannot just walk into a police station anyhow,” said Kopot.
He also admitted that he had received the said sum money from the foreign priest but claimed it was payment meant to cater for the advice he gave to him on immigration rules.
“The Flying Squad officers were at my home today (Saturday) but they did not find me. I’m not in hiding,” he stated.
Kopot who at one time, Siaya governor Cornel Rasanga’s lawyer also confirmed he had not renewed his practice certificate for this year only but defended this by adding that it was normal.
He was however at pains to explain why he was taking up cases from clients while he had not renewed his certificate.
A lawyer based in Kisumu said an appeal could be filed against the verdict of all the matters for which he was on record as advocate and the clients could suffer loss.
When asked about the other woman whom the OCS said had also made a report with the police against him, the lawyer demanded to know the identity of the complainant first to be able to comment.
His case came up in court again on April 3 for hearing where it was ruled that he has a case to answer.
The Irishman has meanwhile, blamed certain forces behind his predicament.
He says some priests in Kisumu are not happy with his ministry in the lakeside town.
Bracken has reported to the police about text messages sent to him by several people.