The High court on Tuesday extended  orders stopping the suspension of 67 police officers over corruption allegations.

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei had issued a directive to the Inspector General of Police to suspend them for twelve months on being linked to corruption by the anti-graft body EACC.

The court last year suspended  the said directive following a case filed by Memba Ocharo through lawyer Danstan Omari challenging the suspension of the officers.

Justice Chacha Mwita on Tuesday extended the orders and directed all parties to file all their responses and submissions and serve for highlighting of submissions on May 6.

In the case Memba Ocharo through lawyer Danstan Omari, argued that the directions issued by EACC to the Inspector General of police were malicious and also illegal.

“EACC actions are characterised with malice and are solely designed to impede the operational effectiveness of the police force,” he argued in court documents.

While seeking to suspend the letter of suspension by Koskei to the IG, Omari informed the court that a state officer of the rank of the Head of Public Service can not purport to implement an intended action that is clearly malicious and baseless in total disregard of the welfare of the concerned police officers.

“It is against the law for a state organ such as the EACC to issue clearly illegal, unprocedural and malicious instructions to an independent office as that is an insult to articles 245 (4) and 246 (3)(b) of the Constitution of Kenya,” Omari had argued.

The Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, Attorney General Justin Muturi, the Office of the President, EACC, National Police Service Commission and Cabinet Secretary interior Kithure Kindiki and their agents or any other person have been barred from interfering with the 67 police officers discharge of their duties until further orders of the court.