Bishop accused of defiling minor acquitted by court
By JULIANA STONICKA bishop who was accused of defiling a minor has been acquitted by a Nakuru court.
Senior Resident Magistrate Judicaster Nthuku cleared the defilement charges filed against Bishop Daniel Lubanga of the Christ Chapel Church in Kaptembwa declaring that she did not find him guilty.
The cleric had been accused of defiling a 16-year-old girl in January 27, 2011 at Kaptembwa estate within Nakuru County.
He had, however, denied the charges saying they had been propagated by members of a splinter church group with malicious interests.
The bishop had sought to have the charges dropped citing lack of enough evidence from the prosecution.
FRAMED
And on Thursday, he was granted reprieve after the magistrate gave a verdict that testimonies by various witnesses in court failed to link the man of God to the heinous act he was accused of. The magistrate ruled that the accused had been framed.
“It is clear that the accused was being framed by the complainant’s mother. I hereby find Mr Lubanga not guilty of the offence,” the judge said in his ruling.
The magistrate said after listening to all the testimonies presented in court, she had ascertained that the Bishop did not defile the girl who was staying in his house at Kiamunyi area within Nakuru town.
CONTRADICTIONS
According to the magistrate, the prosecution had failed to present enough evidence to prove that the bishop had defiled the girl on the said dates.
Through his lawyer, the bishop had told the court that there were contradictions in the statements made by the witnesses and the complainant.
He questioned why the matter had not been reported to the police nor medical examinations conducted on the complainant.
The court had ordered the defence to file their submission before judgment was made.
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