Joyce Akinyi charged with trafficking heroin, bail reviewed to Sh1M
Controversial businesswoman Joyce Akinyi was charged Tuesday with trafficking narcotic drugs after many years of escaping police dragnet.
Ms Akinyi and three accomplices were accused of trafficking heroin with a total value of Sh6.1 million.
Together with John Alex Otieno, Ms Akinyi is alleged to have been found with 31.6 grams of heroin at her Deep West Resort in Langata, Nairobi on March 25.
Police found her with a substance that preliminary tests established to be heroin, according to the prosecution.
WANJALA IN PREMISES
Her longtime friend former Bundalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala was within Kibera court premises when she took plea but did not enter the court room.
Last year Ms Akinyi and Mr Wanjala were arrested with a powder suspected to be narcotics but were released without a charge.
In a separate count on the same charge sheet, John Alex Otieno, Risper Auma and Kelvin Oduor were charged with trafficking 1833.6 grams of heroin valued at Sh5.7 million.
The court heard that the three were found at a house in Dam estate, Langata, with 439 sachet containing the proscribed drug on March 25 moments after Ms Akinyi was arrested at Deep West Resort.
Applying to be released on bond, Otieno and Odour told the court that they are students in city schools.
The prosecution did not oppose the application but asked the court to enhance Ms Akinyi’s bond terms to commensurate with value of the alleged drugs.
On Monday, the court released Ms Akinyi on Sh500,000 bond and ordered her to present herself to court on Tuesday to take plea.
However, she could not raise the bond and was remanded at Muthaiga police station.
On Tuesday, Kibera Principal Magistrate Benard Ochoi released her on Sh1 million bond and a surety of a similar amount. Her co-accused were released on Sh3 million bond each.
Chief Inspector David Terer of the Special Crime Prevention unit swore that Akinyi was arrested at her Deep West Resort in Langata with a bag she used to conceal the drugs.
“We found a substance wrapped in tissue and polythene papers that we suspected to be narcotic drugs,” Mr Terer swore in the affidavit.
The case will be heard on July 27.