Former Muranga Governor Mwangi wa Iria and two others have pleaded not guilty to charges of irregularly awarding contracts for the provision of media buying services amounting to sh 351 million.
Wa Iria, David Njeri and Solomon Kimani appeared before Milimani Anti-corruption Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzyuki.
On Monday, Justice Nixon Sifuna ordered Wa Iria to present himself to the EACC for processing after orders stopping his prosecution were vacated.
The former county chief appeared in court with his political alliesr and was represented by a battalion of counsels led by Senior counsel Kalonzo Musyoka.
The prosecution has instituted charges against Wa Iria, Patrick Mukuria, Jane Wanjiru Mbuthia, David Kiama, David Maina Njetrii, Jane Waigwe Kimani, Solomon Kimani and Peter Muturi Karanja and companies Top Image Media Consultants and Value View Limited.
But David Maina Kiama and Jane Waigwe Kimani were not present in court.
Kiama is said to be in Northern Tanzania and Jane is ill.
The court deferred their plea taking to May 7 and ordered that Jane present in court medical documents to substantiate her illness and Kiama to deposit his travel documents to prove he was indeed in Tanzania.
Other accused persons took a plea on Monday and were released on bail.
They are Patrick Mukuria Jane Mbuthia and Peter Muturi Karanja.
Mbuthia was admitted to bail of sh 4millio presumably because she's director of Top Image.
Patrick and Peter were granted Sh 1 million bail each.
According to the charge sheet, it is alleged that the accused persons between October 21 and June 19, 2017, in Muranga county within Kenya, conspired to commit an offence of corruption in respect of an unlawful contract for the provision of media buying services awarded to Top Image Media Consultants limited by Muranga county government amounting to sh 351 million.
Those charged have denied the charges.
The magistrate is set to deliver a ruling on bail 2:30 pm.
