Justice Lawrence Mugambi of the Milimani High Court has dismissed the charges against Deputy Inspector General of Police, Gilbert Masengeli. The decision follows Masengeli’s appearance in court today, where he sought forgiveness for previously failing to attend scheduled hearings.
Justice Mugambi stated, “The intention of the court was not to punish Masengeli for the sake of it but to ensure that the sentence restores the dignity and the authority of this court.”
He further remarked on the cross-examination, saying, “Masengeli was cross-examined by advocates and my observation is that his answers appeared genuine. This court is convinced that Masengeli regrets and is generally remorseful for the situation he finds himself in.”
Additionally, the judge emphasized, “Masengeli through this purging process has purged his guilt for the contempt of court, and thus both the conviction and sentence passed are set aside.”
In a noteworthy personal decision, Justice Mugambi announced his recusal from further proceedings in the case, stating, “I am making my decision to recuse myself from further proceedings of this case for personal reasons.”
Judge Mugambi had sentenced Masengeli to six months in prison after he disregarded a court order
