The bond terms given by the High Court to the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal suspects have hit the Ngirita family hard. The family members are still in remand for they cannot get securities and post bail terms to secure their release.
30 people have been released so far after meeting the terms placed by Justice Hedwig Ong’udi last month.
Each 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.
The verification process at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters has been very strict after 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.
Some of 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.
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.
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.