• Sora says he can only raise Sh500,000 cash bail
• Judge Chitembwe will rule on his application on Tuesday
A former presidential candidate who was arrested with 450kg of bhang has applied for review of his bond terms at the High Court in Meru.
Jaffer Isaak Sora who ran for president in 2013 was charged in a Marsabit court for trafficking 450kg narcotics valued at about 11.5million.
He was nabbed at a roadblock near Marsabit town driving a Toyota Prado Land Cruiser that was towing a trailer carrying the drugs.
He denied the charges and the court released him on a Sh6 million bond with two sureties or a cash bail of Sh3 million.
But he was unable to raise the money and has been in Marsabit Remand Prison since June 19 when he was arraigned.
On Thursday, his lawyer Njengo Mwangi convinced a Marsabit court to review the bond.
Marsabit magistrate Tom Mbayaki Wafula reviewed the bail to Sh3 million bond or a cash bail of Sh 1.5million but the former aspirant could not raise the amount as well.
Mwangi further applied for review of the bail terms to judge Juma Chitembwe sitting in Meru.
But state prosecutor Claire Muriithi opposed the review application saying there is no reason to warrant it.
Muriithi said a similar review was done and questioned how the accused could file a similar application the next day.
“In his statement he says he is a student and has no source of income but how does he cater for his day to day living? The court has discretion to exercise its mandate in relation to pre-bail report. He stated he is able to raise Sh500, 000. In most cases, the accused does not dictate the amount to raise. Considering the nature and consequences of the offense, the bail terms are very lenient,” Muriithi said.
Mwangi told court the high bail contravenes Article 49 of the Constitution that requires accused persons to be released on reasonable bail terms.
He said the bail terms were punitive and his clients cannot raise it.
He said his client is not a flight risk despite him having a passport and has a family living in Nairobi. He would not abscond court or interfere with witnesses he claimed are all police officers. He has 2022 presidential ambitions and all his supporters are poor people.
Judge Chitembwe will rule on the application on Tuesday next week.