In a recent legal development, Marilyn Mercy Wanjiru and Pastor Christopher Mutira have successfully appealed their convictions in a marriage certificate forgery case. The judge, Diana Kavedza, ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the allegations of forgery.
In 1989, Marilyn Mercy Wanjiru and Kanwajit Signh Chadda began their romantic relationship, which later resumed in 1999, leading to their life together as husband and wife for 14 years. Their marriage took place in 2018 at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church Africa, presided over by Pastor Christopher Mutira. However, a dispute arose after Chadda’s untimely death in 2018, as his brother Parminder Singh Chatta contested the validity of the marriage.
The prosecution presented their case, including statements from the state counsel and an investigating officer, as well as a forensic document examiner. They alleged that the marriage certificate was forged. In contrast, the defense called witnesses, including Wanjiru and a private forensic document examiner, who argued that the certificate was genuine.
The trial court had initially convicted Wanjiru and Mutira of forgery and uttering a false document, sentencing each of them to fines and imprisonment. However, on appeal, Judge Diana Kavedza reviewed the conflicting evidence presented by the forensic experts and found that the state’s case lacked substantial corroboration. She also noted that the trial court had not properly considered the defense’s expert opinion, which indicated that the signature on the marriage certificate matched Chadda’s known signature.
Ultimately, Judge Kavedza ruled that the trial court had relied on logical reasoning to convict the appellants, but there was no concrete evidence to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. She also emphasized that there was no evidence to support the charge of uttering a false document. As a result, the judge quashed the convictions, set aside the sentences, and ordered the refund of the fines. Wanjiru and Mutira were declared at liberty unless lawfully held for other reasons.
