NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 15 – Police have requested for 14 days to detain Football Kenya Federation boss Nick Mwendwa to allow the complete investigations on allegation of misappropriation of funds.
Mwendwa appeared at an Anti-Corruption court in Nairobi on Monday morning, having spent the weekend behind bars following his arrest on Friday evening.
The presiding Judge has said she will rule on the application by the prosecution on Wednesday while the bond application ruling will be made later Monday afternoon.
Mwendwa’s defense team has meanwhile strongly opposed to the request to hold their client for two more weeks, stating that the argument he will interfere with investigations is wrong.
“There is an entity appointed by the CS whether legal or not, which is in place to run the Federation. It is contradictory for the state to now allege that the respondent, who is not in office, cannot access the office and whose docket is under management of a third party, that if he is released will interfere with documents,” former Law Society of Kenya chairman Erick Mutua, part of Mwendwa’s legal team argued.
He added; “The State cannot seek to punish Mwendwa with detention for having exercised his right to lawfully challenge the CS orders of disbanding the federation in a court of law.”
Mwenda appeared in court on Monday afternoon with a heavy line up of lawyers, led by his lead counsel Tom Ojienda, Mutua and Machakos Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior.
FKF president Nick Mwendwa following proceedings at the Milimani Court
Also part of his group of lawyers is veteran lawyer John Khaminwa, Vincent Omwebu, Charles Njenga and current Law Society of Kenya boss Nelson Havi.
Mutua, while presenting his arguments before the Court said they were denied the Spprts Registrar’s report that has put Mwendwa on the hot seat.
Mutua also said that the report should have been provided to the Federation who in turn should have been given an opportunity to speak to the report y making presentations in relation to the contents of the report.
“It is only after the process is undertaken that the Cabinet Secretary may take a decision. The report has been acted upon by appointing a caretaker committee, and which report the president of the Federation has not seen,” Mutua argued.
He added; “Any act which clearly contravenes the Law is an act in bad faith.”
Meanwhile in his submissions, Khaminwa has underlined the threat by FIFA to ban Kenya if CS Amina does not rescind her decision to form a caretaker committee to run the Federation.
“FIFA has threatened to ban Kenya. Footballers, coaches and referees will be rendered jobless if FIFA bans Kenya. For that to happen Nick Mwendwa has to be released by 5pm today. Some people in government are giving our country a bad name,”Khaminwa said.
The embattled FKF boss spent the weekend at the Gigiri Police Station as he was being quizzed by the DCI. He was arrested on Friday evening at the Safari Park hotel as he left, having paid national football team Harambee Stars a courtesy call.
