A Nairobi magistrate has issued an arrest warrant for gospel musician Alex Apoko popularly known as Ringtone after he skipped a court session.
Ringtone was expected to plead to charges of fraud before senior principal magistrate Dolphina Alego but failed to show up.
The charge sheet shows he conspired with Alfred Juma Ayora to defraud Teresiah Adhiambo of a parcel of land measuring 0.1908 hectares (0.47 acres) within Nairobi.
The land, Nairobi Block 99/142, is valued at Sh50 million.
Ringtone wanted to take over the land by means of adverse possession, claiming he had lived on the parcel in Karen for over two decades.
Ayora was present on March 28 when the state pressed the charges against them and pleaded not guilty.
However, Ringtone did not show up. The court directed that he be present on Monday, April 14 to plead to the charges before pre-trial proceedings were to commence. Again, Ringtone failed to show up.
His lawyer, who introduced himself as Mr Karanja, said Ringtone fell ill on Thursday, April 10 and was treated and discharged at the Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The musician’s condition deteriorated on Sunday, April 13 in Nairobi and he was rushed to Trinity Care Centre in Ngong where he was admitted, his lawyer submitted.
Karanja presented in court documents purportedly showing the same but the magistrate said they were not authentic.
“How do we know that John Mathenge who has signed this document is a doctor?" Alego asked.
The document from Trinity Care Centre was signed by Mathenge who indicated he was in charge of clinical department.
The court said the letter was not an original copy and that both documents from the hospitals in Nakuru and Ngong were inadmissible before court.
“There is nothing therefore that shows why he is not in court,” the magistrate said.
However, Karanja pleaded with the court to place the file aside and give his client time even to log in virtually from his hospital bed “on human grounds, your honour” but that request was declined.
“A warrant of arrest is issued for the second accused. The matter be mentioned on May 7, 2025,” the magistrate ruled.
