• Kidero and 15 others accused of multiple offences of corruption and abuse of office.
• The 15 people and a company were accused of illegal transaction of public cash amounting to Sh58 million
Image: COLLINS KWEYU
Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and others will spend the night at Kilimani police station until tomorrow noon, when the court will make a ruling on their bail application.
Kidero and 15 others were on Monday arraigned in court and charged with multiple offences of corruption and abuse of office.
The 15 people and a company were accused of illegal transaction of public cash amounting to Sh58 million which was paid to a lawyer Steven Kariuki Mburu, now deceased, trading as Wachira, Mburu, Mwangi and Company Advocates.
The former governor, City County accountants and former chief of staff were charged with illegal acquisition of public property and abuse of office by allowing and processing the payment of the cash in January 2014.
The 15 accused include George Wainaina Njogu, (former chief of staff), John Ndirangu Kariuki (former Nairobi mayor), Paul Mutunga Mutungi, (former Councilor of Nairobi City County), Manasseh Karanja Kepha (accountant), Philomena Kavinya Nzuki(accountant), Ng’ang’a Mungai Ng’ang’a(senior accountant), Charity Muringo Ndiritu (internal auditor, Nairobi county) and Ekaya Alumasi Ghonzour(accountant).
Others are James Mimi Mbugua (accountant), Alice Njeri Mundia(accountant) Peterson Andrew Njiru(accountant), Elizabeth Wanjiru Nderitu(accountant), Hannah Muthoni Kariuki and John Ngari Wainaina and some of the Cups Limited directors.
Ndirangu Kariuki was granted a personal bond of Sh5 million to enable him to go to hospital for dialysis tomorrow.
DPP Alexander Muteti argued that the offences are serious and in the current war against corruption, such crimes should be fought zealously.
“Everyone has woken up to the realisation that corruption must be fought, figures notwithstanding,” he said.
The defence lawyers, led by James Orengo, argued that Kidero and other accused have been attending court and should not be denied bail.
“There are no compelling reasons to deny the accused bail. The accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty,” Orengo said.
The prosecution, however, opposed bail, stating that the fact that someone has been charged and attended court should not be a basis for the court to issue a discretion in that person’s will.
“That would mean in any subsequent offence, they have a blank cheque. There is a paradigm shift in the war against corruption. High ranking people are now being charged, historically,” Muteti said.