South Fulton Mayor khalid “Kobi” kamau will go to trial Feb. 17, a judge ruled Tuesday during a hearing that nearly ended in a bench warrant for the outgoing city leader over his late arrival to court.
Kamau, who doesn’t capitalize his name, faces one count of criminal trespass after a burglary in the first degree charge was dropped by prosecutors earlier this year.
Kamau is accused of entering a lake house in the 6000 block of Cascade Palmetto Highway after the homeowner received a phone notification shortly before 7 a.m. on July 8, 2023, that “some unknown subject was walking onto his property,” according to affidavits obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The homeowner confronted kamau and told him to stay put until police arrived, which kamau ignored and told him, “I don’t have to listen to you, and you can’t give me orders.” He later told the homeowner he was the mayor, according to affidavits.
According to kamau’s account, the homeowner cocked his gun and told kamau he was going to shoot him if he moved. Kamau claimed he was just trying to introduce himself to the property owner and thought the house was abandoned.
He described the home to police as his “dream home” and said he wanted to buy it, according to affidavits.
The hearing Tuesday was set to start at 10 a.m., but neither kamau or his attorney, Michelle Ruff, were present when Judge Nancy Mau called his name. As a result, Fulton prosecutors asked Mau to sign a bench warrant and schedule a bond forfeiture hearing.
Mau decided to give kamau and Ruff time to arrive to court, with kamau arriving around 10:42 a.m. and Ruff arriving after 11:30 a.m. Mau reprimanded Ruff for not filing a timely conflict notice and not making sure her client was in court at the appropriate time.
She later decided not to sign the bench warrant and allowed Ruff and prosecutors to discuss a final plea offer. Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Tarrance Miller said prosecutors offered kamau 12 months probation and 40 hours of community service, as well as requiring him to write a letter apologizing to the homeowner and avoid further contact with them.
Kamau declined the offer and instead announced his intention to go to trial. If convicted, he faces up to 12 months in jail.
Kamau faced eight opponents in the November election and lost his seat after generating criticism over his spending of taxpayer money.
A forensic audit by the city council of kamau’s public spending temporarily barred him from city buildings and seized some items that council members allege he purchased improperly, including a $1,830 pool table for the mayoral suite.
He was stripped of access to the mayoral budget, and his wages were garnished to pay back the more than $5,000 for a large, vinyl mural installed in the mayoral suite.
Kamau also used city funds to go on a 21-day trip to Ghana, in West Africa, last December and travel twice to Colombia last year, although he said he had been invited by officials and businesses on those trips to look for investment opportunities for the city.
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