Sirisia MP John Waluke has maintained his innocence as he made his final submission to the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn the 67-year jail term or Ksh1.2 billion fine that he is facing.
Through his lawyers Otiende Amollo and Elisha Ongoya, Waluke said that the NCPB millions that landed him in trouble were lawfully paid to him and his co-accused Grace Wakhungu.
He added that he was wrongfully sentenced and that his case was misunderstood. The lawmaker further said that the 67-year jail term was politically influenced.
“Our client remains innocent, and we pray that this honorable court will review this matter and set the record straight,” his lawyers told the 3-bench judge.
Waluke appeared virtually in court during the Monday November 20, 2023 hearing.
Waluke and Wakhungu were sentenced to jail 0n June 22, 2020 by the graft and anti-corruption court after “guilty of fraud and illegal acquisition of Sh297 million through shady deals at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).”
They appealed the decision at the high court, but the sentence was up held in October last year.
“The sentences were not excessive. They are within the law. Conviction and sentences affirmed,” high court judge Esther Maina ruled last year.
The move saw Waluke move to the Court of Appeal. He was also released on bail, pending hearing and determination of his appeal.
