NYS scam: Ngiritas claim they cannot raise Ksh.8M as ordered

Top National Youth Service (NYS) scandal suspects, the Ngiritas, now say they cannot afford to pay the bond, cash bail and surety amounts as directed by the court.

The court said they would be released on condition that they pay a bond of Ksh.5 million, cash bail of Ksh.1 million and a Ksh.2 million surety.

Also Read: NYS scandal suspects released on Ksh.5M bond.

Ann Wambere Wanjiku Ngirita; her brother, Jeremiah Gichina Ngirita; mother, Lucy Ngirita and sister Phyllis Ngirita lamented that they cannot access any money after their bank accounts were frozen.

“How are they going to finance their case and they have no access to their accounts? The State is also snooping in our accounts. This is not fair and you need to give us directions to this too,” Defense lawyer Cliff Ombeta said on Wednesday.

“Are those accounts going to be exhibits in court and why are they taking our client’s cars?” he further posed.

The Ngiritas have urged the court to vary the orders but indicated that they are willing to abide by all the other directives issued on Tuesday.

The Judge ordered that the applicants and the co-accused deposit their travel documents with the court.

They are also not leave the jurisdiction of the Nairobi Chief Magistrate without prior orders.

Further, the accused persons are also not allowed to go to their former offices unless accompanied by an officer.

The NYS suspects are also expected to refrain from making contact with any of the staff or witnesses lined up by the Prosecution.

The accused persons are also required to report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) offices once every week until further orders by the trial court.

Their defense lawyers indicated that they are also not ready for the pre-trial conference that was scheduled to start on Wednesday.

According to them, their clients have been in detention and have not received any signed witness statements.

They have asked the court to grant them two weeks, a proposal that the Prosecution objected accusing the defense of material non-disclosure.

State Prosecutor Gitonga Riungu termed the defense submissions as “untrue”.