The pre-trial for Brian Mwenda Njagi, a young Kenyan accused of impersonating a High Court lawyer, has been postponed to November 28. The prosecution requested an adjournment, stating that they had not yet recorded statements from their witnesses. “Your honor, we are not ready for a pretrial today as the investigating officer is yet to conclude recording statements from the witnesses,” said the prosecution.
During the court hearing before Milimani chief magistrate Lucas Onyina, the DPP requested 14 weeks to prepare for pretrial. However, Brian’s lawyer Danstan Omari opposed the 14-day period and urged the court to start the trial as soon as possible due to its political nature.
Omari argued, “We would like to have this matter start as soon as possible before the February elections by the Law Society of Kenya. We also oppose the application by the prosecution that the investigations are still ongoing. The complainant witnesses should record their statements in two days. This is a matter of public interest.”
Despite the objection from the defense, the magistrate granted the prosecution 14 days to record statements. The case will be mentioned on November 28.
It’s worth noting that last month, Mwenda was charged with making a fake certificate for admission to practice law as an advocate.
He denied six counts of making a false document, uttering a false document, and identity theft.
In the first count, he is charged with intent to deceive, knowingly and fraudulently making a false document namely a certificate of admission p 105/21249/22 in the name of Brian Mwenda N.
He allegedly purported it to be a certificate of admission to practice as an advocate of the High Court duly issued by the deputy registrar of the High Court.
Mwenda is said to have committed the offense between August 30, 2022, and March 3, 2023, at an unknown place within the country.
The accused is facing multiple charges of fraud. On March 3, 2023, at the law firm of Mwangi Kiai LLP Advocates offices in Westlands within Nairobi, the accused allegedly fraudulently uttered a forged certificate of Admission in the name of Brian Mwenda N. Additionally, the accused is charged with creating a fake practicing certificate for the year 2023, in the name of Brian Mwenda N, and purporting it to be a practicing certificate issued by the chief registrar of the judiciary. The court heard on October 9, at the law firm of Micheka Omwenga and company advocates offices, that the accused person forged a practicing certificate for the year 2023.