BY NT CORRESPONDENT.
Four suspects have been charged before a Nairobi court in connection to fake over Sh 2 billion stashed inside a safe deposit box at the Barclays Bank.
Appearing before Milimani Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi, former Ragwe constituency aspirant Erick Adede, Ahmed Shah, Irene Wairimu Kimani and Elizabeth Muthoni pleaded not to charges conspiracy to defraud and being in possession of papers intended to resemble and pass as currency notes, and being in possession of mineral.
The charges against the four stated that on March 19,2019 at Barclays Bank Queens way branch in Nairobi conspired with intent to defraud by falsely pretending they were carrying on a genuine business as investors in Nairobi with Muriithi Materi Mbuthia who would remit to them Sh 20 million.
Adede alone was charged that that on March 19, 2019 in Nairobi County, without lawful authority or excuse knowingly had in his custody USD dollars 20,067,900 papers intended to resemble and pass as currency notes.
He was further accused of being found in possession of 41.373 kilograms of brass in contravention of the mining Act.
After denying the charges prosecution opposed their release on bond and sought two days to enable them file an affidavit in opposition of the same.
However, the defence through lawyer Seth Ojienda and Sam Nyaberi vehemely objected the plea by prosecution ti have their clients detained for two days informing the court that their clients has been custody since March 19 when they were arrested.
They said that no compelling reasons has been adduced by the state and urged them to release the four on reasonable bail.
“To continue detaining the accused person further pending bail application is an abuse to the dignity of their rights and this application should be disallowed,” said Nyaberi.
However, the magistrate concurred with the defence submissions saying that the reason by the prosecution that an affidavit need to be prepared was not a compelling to deny the accused bail.
Andayi added that all the other accused person apart from Adede were charged with an offence of conspiracy which is a misdemeanor and the prosecution didn’t show intention to charge them with more charges.
The magistrate directed that Shah Wairimu and Muthoni to be released on a Sh 500,000 or a cash bail of Sh 300,000 while Adede was released on a cash bail of 1 million while others a cash bail of 300,000.
In a different case Shah , Mary Wanjiru Mwangi alias Elizabeth Muthoni were charged with obtaining Sh 8.3Million from Nicholas Cheruiyot and Sh 2.2 million from Nancy Chekwony by pretending they were in possession to sell them valuable seeds know as tetra seeds.
Andayi released them on Sh 500,000 bond or Sh 300,000 each pending the hearing and determination of their criminal case on May 9.