Drama was witnessed in Shanzu Magistrate Court after Paul Mackenzie refused to appear before the magistrate protesting harassment and discrimination by prison authorities.
This comes after Mackenzie and 94 other co-accused persons were to appear before the court for their hearing related to the prosecution’s application opposing his release and that of the other suspects on bond.
The accused were appearing for the mention of their case, in which they have been charged with terrorism and organized criminal activities that led to the deaths of 429 people at Shakahola Forest between 2020 and 2023.
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Despite attempts by his lawyer Wycliffe Makasembo to convince Mackenzie to appear before the court, he refused claiming that he is being unfairly separated from the other suspects, citing discrimination by prison authorities.
Mackenzie also expressed concerns about potential “abduction by people he didn’t name or prove to be in court.
However, his lawyer asked for adjournment to enlighten his client on legal matters and persuade him to resume attending the proceedings.
However, the prosecution said that the accused was doing all those as mere theatrics intended to delay the proceedings of the court.
The prosecution added that Mackenzie, being a convicted prisoner, must be separated from the remandees according to the law. Additionally, Mackenzie had been influencing his co-Shakahola suspects to initiate a hunger strike, raising significant security concerns.
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Shanzu Principal Magistrate Leah Juma directed that the officer in charge of Shimo la Tewa Maximum Security Prison to appear in court and address Mackenzie’s alleged rights violation, particularly segregation from others.
Mombasa court is set to provide further directions on March 27, 2024, during the next mention of the matter after the evaluation of each of the accused persons by the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC).