High Court reduces Swazuri cash bail from Ksh.12M to Ksh.7M

The High Court on Thursday reduced Former National Lands Commission (NLC) chairman Muhammad Swazuri cash bail from the previously set amount of Ksh.12 million to Ksh.7 million.

This was after Swazuri moved to the High Court last Thursday seeking a review of the Ksh.12million cash bail set by Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi.

In his argument, Swazuri challenged the terms issued by court terming them as punitive and unreasonably high.

The DPP however opposed the bail review and asked the court to either enhance the bail terms or revoke them altogether.

The prosecution further said the former NLC boss had not discharged his burden to the required standards in demonstrating that the bond terms were unreasonable, unjust and exorbitant.

Other officials released on the same bond terms with Swazuri include Emma Njogu (former NLC commissioner), Tom Aziz Chavangi (former NLC chief executive officer), Dr Salome Munubi (director valuation and taxation), Francis Mugo (NLC director of finance and administration) and Catherine Wanjiru Chege (lawyer).

Swazuri and the others were charged in connection with alleged irregular compensation for land for Mombasa Port Area Development.

It is alleged that between January 11, 2017, and December 5, 2017, they jointly conspired to fraudulently pay Ksh.109,769,363 for the purported compulsory acquisition of land from Tornado Carriers Limited for the Kenya National Highways Authority.

Swazuri, Munubi and Njogu were also separately charged with abuse of office.

They are accused of using their office to improperly confer Ksh.109,811,694 to Tornado Carriers Limited.

The former NLC chairman will now be required to deposit the cash bail to secure his freedom.