Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero spent another night in the police cells as he faced more charges of conspiring to steal Sh58 million from the county government.
After spending three days in police custody, Dr Kidero was back in the cells to await the court’s decision on his application to be released on bail.
The court was told that Kidero conspired with his 14 co-accused to commit an offence of corruption by defrauding the county of Sh58 million, and also acquired millions of shillings as kickbacks from lawyer Steven Kariuki.
This was the second time Kidero was dragged to court to face charges of corruption, having been charged in August last year with conspiracy to defraud Nairobi City County a total of Sh237 million.
“On January 8 2014 you unlawfully acquired Sh14.4 million from Steven Kariuki while knowing it was public property. You also engaged in money laundering by acquiring a Toyota Lexus valued at Sh14 million while knowing the money was part of proceeds of crime,” read the charges.
Kidero was charged alongside his former chief of staff, George Wainaina, former Nairobi Mayor John Ndirangu, Paul Mutunga, Manasseh Karanja, Philomena Nzuki, Nganga Mungai, Charity Muringo, Peterson Njiru, Ekaya Alumasi, James Mbugua, Elizabeth Wanjiru, Alice Njeri, Hannah Muthoni and John Ngari.
State prosecutors
State prosecutors Alexander Muteti and Victor Owiti pressed for their detention without bail.
“Corruption should be looked at as an act of economic terrorism which does not deserve any lenient treatment from courts. Everyone has woken up to the realisation that corruption must be fought from all angles and the gravity of the offence is a compelling reason to deny them bail,” said Muteti.
He submitted that the irregular payment of Sh58 million to Kariuki’s law firm was deliberately done with the knowledge of the accused persons.
Prosecution told the court of a calculated conspiracy between the suspects from the time the money was released to the law firm and how it got its way back to some accounts held by the accused as kickbacks.
Mr Alumasi, Ms Njeri, Ms Wanjiru, and Mr Mungai, who are accountants at Nairobi County, were accused of approving the payment to Kariuki’s law firm through illegal means.
Mr Ndirangu, the former mayor, is suspected to have received Sh8.9 million from the proceeds and arranged to purchase land worth Sh25 million for Mr Kariuki while aware that the money was part of the Sh58 million illegally acquired from the county government.
The prosecution further alleged that Kariuki’s law firm disbursed Sh15 million for the purchase of Kidero’s car.
Senior Counsel James Orengo, for the accused, pleaded with the court to release them on bail, arguing that it was their right to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
Mr Orengo told the court that there has been more serious corruption charges involving millions of shillings where the suspects were released on bail.
