Media bigwigs attend court in solidarity with Jacque Maribe
Several popular journalists flocked the court on Wednesday during the mention of murder case involving their friend, TV anchor Jacque Maribe and her fiancé Joseph Irungu alias Joe Jowie.
Justice James Wakiaga presided over the case where he warned the media on the coverage of the Monica Kimani murder case.
The judge said he was an old school judge who does not like it when the media tries to influence a case before he hears it.
The judge spoke as he gave a hearing date for the bail application in the presence of Citizen TV journalists Francis Gachuri, Faizah Wanjiru, Monica Kiragu and the former anchor Terryanne Chebet.
State House secretary of Digital Communication Dennis Itumbi, Gatundu MP Moses Kuria, KBC editor-in-chief had also attended the court session, along with Star digital editor and Maribe’s ex-boyfriend Oliver Mathenge, to name but a few.
MARIBE’S CLOSE FRIEND
All the journalists who attended court session are close friends of Ms Maribe who is accused of murder alongside her fiancé Jowie.
Judge Wakiaga said; “I am an old school judge who believes in blunt justice but when I am influenced before I hear the case I get very upset…We need to find out who is releasing information and these guys are here we need to know the source. Can they tell us who is giving them the information?”
He gave an order that the media does not let the freedom to information override subjudice in discussing a matter that is before court.
“Lets try to be kind to all of us because I’m the one who is likely to hear this matter and the information that you put out there will put me in a lot of difficult situation if I acquit these guys…The media is to guard against what to put in the public domain now that this matter is before court,” he said.
READ GUIDELINES
The judge was first startled on finding dozens of cameras in court and asked if the media had read the guidelines on how to cover proceedings.
He then asked the clerk to start with the case that the media was interested in so that he can continue hearing other matters.
At the end of the session he told the camerapersons; “Can you go so that we do what we do normally without cameras.”