Court to hear US bid to extradite Kenyan convicted of manslaughter
The ODPP told the court that it had received a request from the United States seeking Kibutu’s extradition after he was convicted in absentia on April 30, 2013.
The United States has requested the extradition of Sancho Kibutu, a Kenyan national convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter in California, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). Kibutu, also known as Sancho Kibuto and Njoroge Kibutu, was convicted in absentia on April 30, 2013. He fled the United States on September 11, 2013, before the California court could deliver its judgment, having been outside the country for approximately 13 years.
The indictment against him was for one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, in violation of Section 191.5(a) of the California Penal Code. Kibutu's lawyer, Mbiu Kamau, opposed the request for his client's remand at the Industrial Area Remand Prison, arguing that Kibutu has neither been charged nor convicted in Kenya and should not be held in the facility until the extradition process commences.
Kamau also emphasized the necessity of the ODPP filing a formal extradition application, serving it on the defense, and allowing Kibutu to understand the basis of the request and respond accordingly. The court has directed the ODPP to file and serve the formal extradition application, and Kibutu has been remanded at Gigiri Police Station pending further proceedings.
The hearing is scheduled to resume on September 15 to evaluate the progress of the extradition application and ascertain if the legal criteria are fulfilled and whether Kibutu will ultimately be transferred to the United States to face the consequences of the California proceedings.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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