Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor freed on bail

Nyakach MP Joshua Aduma was on Friday charged with corruptly authorising payment of Sh10 million to a law firm of a dead lawyer eight years ago.

Mr Owuor was accused of improperly conferring the money to Wachira, Mburu Mwangi Company Advocates when he was director of legal services in the then Nairobi City Council (NCC).

The court heard the legal fees was paid during the regime of former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero.

Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi was told by state prosecutor Hellen Mutellah that the case against the ODM MP will be consolidated with of Dr Kidero where he denied a Sh68 million fraud.

Defence lawyer Fred Okeyo objected to a suggestion by Ms Mutellah that the MP be released on a Sh8 million cash bail like in the case of Dr Kidero and others.

Ms Mutellah had urged the court to impose a condition that Mr Aduma deposits his passport in court besides keeping away from the city county offices.

“I bring to the attention of this court that Mr Owuor has never been an employee of the Nairobi City County, he worked during the Nairobi City Council regime and cannot be lamped up together with county employees,” Mr Okeyo stated.

In his bail ruling Mr Mugambi directed Mr Owuor to deposit a cash bail of Sh3milioni but Mr Okeyo applied for a review of the amount downwards saying, “ the MP cannot raise this amount now.”

But the trial magistrate declined the review request saying, “ the amount is much lower than in the Dr Kidero case where the highest cash bail is Sh8m and lowest is Sh4 million and his (Owuor) is sh3m much lower.”

Mr Mugambi directed the director of immigration to ensure Mr Owuor does not travel out of court since he said he does not have a passport.

The case will be mentioned on July 19.

In another court, businessman Paul Kobia and his employee Tanya Yvonne Goes were charged with defrauding a Dubai based businessman Italiana Antoniop Cianca, a director of Iron & Steel $140,000 (Sh14 million) pretending they had gold to sell to him.

Kobia and his 13 employees denied 12 counts of fraud and forgery.

Mr Kobia faced nine separate counts of being in possession of government stamps including one resembling 'Executive Office of the Presidency'.

Besides that stamp Kobia also had a Central Bank of Kenya, Registrar of Companies, Chief Magistrates Courts stamp, Kenya Revenue Authority Stamps.

Defence lawyers Kabiru Njenga and Henry Kurauka urged the court to release the accused  on reasonable bail terms..

Kobia was freed on a cash bail of Sh2 million and Tanya on Sh1 million bail.

Other 11 suspects who are casual employees in the company of Duaf International Limited and Malca Amit Limited owned by Kobia were each released on a cash bail of Sh100,000.

The case will be heard August 30,2019.