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The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has lodged an appeal following the court’s decision to release former TV news anchor Jacque Maribe in the case involving the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.
Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions O.J Omondi filed the notice of appeal, expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling delivered by High Court Judge Grace Nzioka on Friday.
The appeal notice states, “The Republic, the intended Appellant herein, being dissatisfied with the decision of the High Court of Kenya at Nairobi (Hon. G. Nzioka), delivered in Nairobi on the 9th of February 2024, appeals to the Court of Appeal against the part of the judgment acquitting the 2nd Accused Person.”
Judge Grace Nzioka, in her verdict, found Joseph Irungu guilty of Monica Kimani’s murder, which occurred on September 19, 2018, at her Lamuria Gardens residence in Nairobi. However, she acquitted Jacque Maribe of the murder charge, stating that the evidence did not place her at the scene on the night of the incident. The judge highlighted that the prosecution’s evidence against Maribe did not establish any communication between her and the deceased prior to the murder.
Although acquitted of murder, Maribe was found to have provided conflicting information regarding how Irungu sustained a gunshot wound. The judge noted this as an offense of giving misleading information to a public servant, leaving the decision on further action to the discretion of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In summary, the court convicted the first accused, Joseph Irungu, of murder while acquitting the second accused, Jacque Maribe, of the same charge due to insufficient evidence linking her to the crime scene on the night of the murder.
