Echesa to spend weekend in cell as police probe Sh40 billion gun fraud case
Former sports cabinet secretary Rashid Echesa will spend the weekend behind bars at the Muthaiga Police Station.
The court ruled on Friday that Echesa be released on a cash bail of Sh1 million immediately police complete their search in his premises in Nairobi and rural home in Kakamega.
In his ruling on Friday, JKIA court chief magistrate Lucas Onyina said the former CS will be remanded until Monday and directed police to conduct a search at the houses of Echesa and three other accused and conclude by 6pm.
Echesa was arraigned at the JKIA Court over a fake tender for military surveillance items amounting to Sh39.5 billion.
He was on Thursday arrested and grilled for hours by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at its Kiambu Road headquarters.
He was arrested alongside Clifford Okoth and Daniel Otieno Omondi and Elias General Juma, who have also been linked to the fraudulent deal.
The prosecution had sought to detain him for 21 days to allow police time to conduct their probe and fly with them to the US to gather more evidence before charging him.
However, the court was of the view that the prosecution had not proven beyond doubt that they need him to fly for such a mission and the former CS is expected to appear in the same court on Tuesday for mention of the case matter.