Three senior NCPB officials were on Thursday charged before an Anti-corruption court with graft in the 209 million fake fertilizer scam that has been under investigations.
NCPB Managing Director Joseph Muna Kimote, Corporate Secretary John Kiplangat Ngetich and General Marketing Manager John Mbaya Matiri all appeared in court and denied charges of corruption.
It was alleged that they conspired to defraud farmers by selling 139,688 bags of 25 Kgs of Soil amendment and conditioner valued at over Sh209 million purporting to be genuine fertiliser.
Through their battery of lawyers led by Danstan Omari and Katwa Kigen, they asked the court to grant them reasonable bail terms saying the accusations by the state that they are flight risks were all false.
Omari asked the court to release their clients who had been in custody since Tuesday evening when they were arrested.
Omari further submitted that there was no evidence adduced by the prosecution to show that their clients had interfered with witnesses or tried absconding from the matter.
Katwa in his submissions said bail is right under the law and without compelling reasons then the application to oppose bail should be dismissed.
The prosecution had opposed bail on grounds that the investigations were still ongoing in another matter where the accused have allegedly been adversely mentioned.
“There is a likelihood of interference with the witnesses, suppressing of evidence or tampering of evidence, particularly 2,3 and 4 persons who are their subordinates in the office,” the state argued.
In her ruling, the magistrate dismissed the application to oppose bail saying the state did not have sufficient evidence to deny the accused
bond.
They were each admitted to a Sh 3 million bond and a surety of the same amount or an alternative cash bail of Sh 1 M.
