Temporary relief for Sirisia MP John Waluke as court grants him Ksh 10M cash bail

Temporary relief for Sirisia MP John Waluke as court grants him Ksh 10M cash bail

A Nairobi Court has granted Sirisia Member of Parliament John Waluke and his co-accused Grace Wakhungu Ksh.10m and Ksh 20m cash bail respectively.

The bail was granted pending the determination of an appeal filed at the High Court by the MP.

The court ruled that there were no sufficient grounds to deny the two bail, arguing that they had both met the threshold.

Justice John Oyiengo who presided over the matter directed the two to deposit their travel documents with the court.

Other than being barred from leaving the country, the two will also be required to report to the deputy registrar on a monthly basis

During the hearing, the court dismissed Waluke’s concerns that he stands to lose his parliamentary seat if he remains in custody.

The court argued that there is no law that provides for special treatment to leaders who appear in court as suspects.

The two were convicted on June 25 after the court found them guilty of receiving Ksh.313m in fictitious claims for the storage of non-existent maize.

Waluke was thereafter sentenced to a combined 67-year jail term, or pay up to 1.04 billion shillings in fines.

On the other hand, Wakhungu was required to pay 1.02 billion shillings in fines or serve 69 years in prison.

Waluke has since appealed the ruling saying among other things, the conviction was based on a defective charge sheet.

He claimed that critical witnesses were never called to testify in the case that was heard within two years.

Further, he claimed that the anti-corruption court failed the test of impartiality and independence claiming that politics played part in the conviction and sentencing.

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