Jersey Court Acquits Kenyan Man of Bigamy Charges
A Kenyan man accused of marrying a woman in Jersey while still married to another in Kenya has been acquitted of bigamy charges.
The Royal Court in Jersey ruled that the case against Douglas Ndenga Akhonya should be dropped, saying the prosecution failed to provide an expert in Kenyan law to determine whether the accused had already been properly married in his native country.
The 41-year-old man had been charged with bigamy, the criminal offense of marrying a person while already being married to another. He faced a second count of knowingly providing false information for the purposes of intended marriage.
The court heard that Akhonya married a woman in St Helier in July 2015, claiming he was single but a Kenyan woman came forward saying the two tied the knot in 2008 and they were still married at the time of his marriage in Jersey.
Even though a civil servant from a marriage registry in Kenya produced a document certifying the marriage, the court determined that he was not a professional legal expert.
Some forms of marriage in Kenya are polygamous and allow a man to have more than one wife.
Akhonya told the court that he had not been properly married to the Kenyan woman but had entered into a ‘customary law union’, an arrangement under Kenyan law that would ensure he would have access to their son.
“In order to establish its case, the Crown must prove that it was a monogamous first marriage and expert evidence will be needed. In its absence, there would be a submission of no case to answer because there would be no evidence fit to put before the jury on that important prerequisite for establishing guilt,” Commissioner Sir William Bailhache of the Royal Court said in his judgement.
The prosecution sought more time to obtain evidence from a Kenyan legal expert, but Sir William said: “The evidence now sought to be admitted was always a necessary part of the prosecution case and should have been obtained much earlier.”
“Formal verdicts of not guilty are entered on the indictment,” he concluded.
Comments (10)
Diaspora life ina maneno. Anyone who has ever taken the BCG tuberculosis vaccine in Kenya will tell you that a subsequent test will show positive results. Lakini hawa wazungu hawajui hivyo.
Rubbish!!! America has Too many women Starving for Men; and this Guy did the Right thing (to Give this Woman the Love and Companionship).
Totally I agree with you; but 99.997% of them are gold diggers. Be on a serious look out whenever you meet a Kenyan woman in the diaspora. She will rob you blind and move on to the next “Joe” for extra cash. Most of them are looking for dummies to pay bills for them, buy them cars, live in your house for free and eat free! If a Kenyan woman tells you, “I love you”, please run, run, and run fast! In the end it will cost you bigly!!
What you are saying should not surprise any one. Women go for hypergamy.So if you want a woman,the first thing to do is to get wealth,or resources,and then share with them generously.Otherwise find a way to enjoy yourself without them.And there are many ways.You dont have to have a woman,much less live with her.It's your choice.
What are you talking about? Am I missing something here? What does this story has to do with BCG vaccine?
BCG is the new name for Kenyan women anywhere in this great Universe! It is the new name for mpango wa kando because all those single desperate Kenyan women in America are simply looking for a quickie from any corner! And they are many if Ai can add that here. So, the guy has equated Kenyan women with tuberculosis because of their touchy feely mannerism as long as there is money to snatch and run.
Yes you are missing something @pam. Yall are like BCG vaccine because once inserted in a man’s body it keeps needing booster shots every so often with no end in sight! Kenyan women are likeCovid19; their madness never goes away…
@ Tim. Don't say nothing to me if am not sitting in your face.
@Pam Griffin, you sit on people's faces? I thought Kenyan women sit on chapos?
Pam,if you are a 10, you can sit on my face as long as you like...