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NYS scandal: Ngiritas still in remand, too broke to raise bail


The stringent bond terms placed by the High Court to the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal suspects seems to have hit the Ngirita family who are still languishing in remand because they cannot get securities and post bail terms to secure their release.

So far, 30 people have been released after meeting the terms placed by Justice Hedwig Ong’udi last month. Most of them are senior civil servants and business persons implicated in the scandal.

Every suspect was directed to execute a bond of Sh5 million, produce sureties of Sh2 million each and deposit cash bail of Sh1 million in court. They were also directed to deposit their passports in court.

PROCEEDS OF CRIME

The matter has been compounded by strict verification process at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters, following a directive by the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji, to the investigators to ensure that the bail and sureties to be used are not proceeds of crime.

A number of persons who volunteered to stand sureties for the suspects have been turned away because of hitches with their documents, prolonging their relatives’ stay at remand.

The accused persons who have so far secured their freedom are former PS Lillian Omolo, former NYS Director General Richard Ndubai, businessman Peter Kimani, Mr Michael Ojiambo, a former director of Administration at Ministry of Youth Affairs and Mr Rodgers Nzioka, a former Head of procurement at Mechanical Transport Branch (MTB) at the agency.

Others are Wellington Lubira, a former acting director of finance at NYS, Mr Sammy Mbugua, a former heads of accounts at the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, Mr Kenneth Mburu Mwathi and Mr Peter Muritu.

Other senior civil servants who have been freed include Mr Lucas Otieno and Mr Josephat Njoroge both are former internal auditors at Treasury, Mr Christopher Malala, a former senior accountant at NYS, Ms Clara Mbao and Ms Andrine Grace Nyambura, both business persons.

But for other public servants including those who were storekeepers at NYS and those who are alleged to have been sent to collect foodstuff from the Mechanical Transport Branch (MTB) stores, are yet to secure their release.

They include Mr Welenalo Malupi and Ferdinand Odoyo, both storekeepers at MTB, Jackson Juma, Ms Stella Biwott, Timothy Rotich, Isaiah Adalo, Mr David Kirui, Mr Jamal Duba, Mr Julius Airo and Ms Keziah Mwangi, all NYS staff.

BACKDATED VOUCHERS

The NYS staff are alleged to have collected foodstuff and signing backdated issuance vouchers and fake requisitions. The prosecution alleges that no procurement was undertaken before the millions for shillings were paid out.

It has also not been easy for the Ngirita family as none of their relatives has been released so far. The relatives, who are said to have received millions from NYS include their mother Lucy Wambui, her daughters Ann Wanjiku Wambere Ngirita and Phyllis Njeri Ngirita, Mr Jeremiah Gichini Ngirita and his wife Catherine Wanjiku Mwai.

Their lawyer Cliff Ombetta unsuccessfully pleaded with chief magistrate Douglas Ogoti to reduce their bail terms. Mr Ombeta said the family cannot raise a total of Sh5 million cash bail because most of their accounts and assets had been frozen by the court.

The pre-trial conference will be held on July 17.