A Nairobi court on Monday issued a warrant of arrest against the director of an Italian firm at the centre of the Sh63 billion Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal.
The warrant of arrest was issued against Paolo Porcelli of CMC Di Ravenna after he failed to appear in court.
While presiding over the case, Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti noted that the reasons issued by the accused's lawyer were not sufficient to justify why his client missed court.
"The lawyer had undertaken to communicate the summons to the accused when the matter was in court last week. He cannot now say he has filed another application claiming the charges are defective, which he can pursue after taking plea,” Ogoti said as quoted by Standard.
On his part, special state prosecutor Taib Ali Taib said the accused should be declared a fugitive.
“As far as we are concerned, Porcelli is nothing more from a fugitive from justice. And we see this repeatedly demonstrated by foreigners, who feel themselves are above the law, and who consider themselves undignified in their appearance before our court. I take personal offence, as an officer of this court, to having a foreigner refuse to appear before this honourable court,” Taib said as quoted by Capital FM.
Former National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and his Principal Secretary Thugge Kamau were arrested and charged over the same scandal last week.