Court denies all NYS suspects bail

A Nairobi court has denied bail to all the suspects charged in the National Youth Service financial scandal.

Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti ruled that the charges the 43 suspects are facing are serious and a compelling reason to deny them bail.

Mr Ogoti said although the suspects were presumed innocent, economic sabotage is injurious to the public.

The magistrate said economic crime is well designed and calculated scheme and for a profit unlike murder, which an accused persons does at the hit of the moment.

The magistrate said the media was awash with cases of serious economic crimes, which pose serious threat to the financial health of the nation.

He said such crimes might lead to anarchy and a threat to national security.

Mr Ogoti said that the court has made plans for the speedy hearing of the cases, starting with a pre-trial conference tomorrow morning.

The suspects, through their lawyers asked for a copy of the ruling to enable them appeal against the decision.

More follows.