Journalist Laban Cliff Onserio is facing more challenges after the employer Standard Group denied him access to the Mombasa Road offices.
The company also denied him access to the official emails.
Further, he was removed from the company WhatsApp groups apart from those that are run by his “friends” as the administrators.
It is not clear why the company took the steps given Onserio who is facing the possibility of being charged with illegal possession of an explosive is yet to take a plea.
“When he arrived at the gate, he found out his card had been deactivated and he could not access the premises. He could not even read or send emails,” said an insider.
It is understood some managers there feel he had given the company a bad image hence the move to remove him from the official email and deny him access to the office.
Onserio works for Standard Media Group as a Chief of Staff. He also worked with NTV and Presidential Delivery Unit.
The journalist, who was arrested on December 20 at the Holy Family Basilica parking bay, denies any wrongdoing.
Police said he was arrested after a stun grenade was found in his car by officers who had been called in by the church’s guards to respond to an altercation involving the journalist.
Out of remorse, he sent an email to the company directors explaining the circumstances under which he was found in the trouble.
“Dear Eminent Board Members and Colleagues,
Happy Sabbath.
A pretty bumpy holiday it has been for my family and I and the circumstances are regretted. I apologize to you all for the unwarranted limelight. As a past civil servant in the President’s office, the escalation of this case has been worrying.
Our media competitors haven’t made it any better, distorting the facts owing to rivalry. I will leave politics aside for now.
Be as it may, I humbly apologize to you all for my actions and for the reports dragging the Group s name into this. As a newsmaker, I will have a story to tell about being the news.
In the meantime, preliminary ATPU investigations are complete and handed over to the ODPP. We await the court to give direction on the fate of this matter.
Respectfully, I will then communicate to the GCEO my personal resolve in this.
Long live SG.
Ahsante !
Laban Cliff.”
He on Tuesday asked the State to consider an alternative to court prosecution in the case where he is accused of being in possession of a stun grenade and threatening to use it for an attack.
The prosecution team led by Jillo Guyo told Kahawa Law Courts that the accused, through his lawyer Ishmael Nyaribo, has written to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) seeking an alternative to prosecution.
This means that his legal team is seeking a formal reprimand from authorities away from the formal court process.
He sought a week to make a decision on the request.
Kahawa Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa pushed the mention of his case to January 18.
Onserio is out on a cash bail of Sh100,000 pending the plea taking.
