Four suspects arrested in connection with the Sh 2 billion purported fake money at Barclay’s Bank have been charged.
Erick Otieno Adende , Mohammed Ejaz alias Ahmed Shah , Mary Wanjiru Mwangi alias Elizabeth Muthoni and Irene Wairimu Kimani alias Charity have been in custody for nine days to allow police to complete investigations.
The four are charged with conspiring with intent to defraud, by falsely pretending that they were carrying on a genuine business as investors in Nairobi with Muriithi Materi Mbuthia who would remit to them shillings 20 million.
The accused persons are alleged to have committed the offence on 19th March 2019 at Barclays Bank Queensway branch in Nairobi.
Adede who was a parliamentary aspirant in Homabay Town, is solely accused of unlawfully and and knowingly having in his custody USD 20,067,900 papers intended to resemble and pass as currency notes.
The court further heard that Adede was found in possession of 41.373 kilograms of brass in contravention of the mining Act.
Prosecution opposed their release on bond and sought two days to file an affidavit in opposition of the same.
However, the defence objected the plea by prosecution informing the court that their clients has been custody since 19th March which prosecution had enough to file the affidavit.
They urged the court to grant their clients bail since there was no compelling reasons tabled by the state.
The magistrate ruled that the reason by the prosecution to deny the accused persons bond on grounds that an affidavit needed to be prepared was not a compelling.
Andayi added that apart from Adede, all the other accused persons are charged with the offence of conspiracy which is a misdemeanor and the prosecution did not show intention to prefer more charges against them.
He granted Adede a cash bail of 1 million while others a cash bail of 300,000.
In a different case, Mohammed and Mary are accused of obtaining 8,300,000 from Nicholus Cheruiyot and Nancy Chepkwony by pretending they were in possession to sell to him valuable seeds know as tetra seeds.