From Right, former PCEA church Moderator David Gathanju, Esther Wanjiru, Peter Mwangi and Stephen Muhoro in Kiambu court on Wednesday where they denied stealing Sh39.9m belonging to the church. [Photo: the-star.co.ke]Five church officials accused of stealing Sh39.9 million from the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) have been released on Sh1 million bail each.The five, who are former PCEA General Assembly moderator David Gathanju, Esther Wanjiru, Peter Mwangi, Stephen Muhoro and James Muiruri, had on Wednesday been denied bail 'due to the nature of the case'.Senior principal magistrate Stella Atambo postponed ruling on bond terms until Thursday (yesterday). Atambo had earlier handed the four Sh2 million bail each and a surety bond of Sh5 million each.But defence lawyer JM Mugo asked the court to reduce it since the moderator is still a cleric and is 64 years old while the others, he said, are not a flight risk."The bond is too much and amounts to a denial of bail and the charges before them are allegations and should not influence the court. The accused are not a flight risk and the moderator is 64 years and still a clergy in the church and should at least be given bail of Sh200,000 or Sh1 million," Mugo said as quoted by the Star.Gathanju, Wanjiru, Mwangi and Muhoro spent the night in police cells. Muiruri did not take a plea on Wednesday after he fell sick and was admitted to Thika Nursing Home, the Satar adds.The four on Wednesday were charged with conspiring between January 2 and June 30 to steal from the church at the PCEA headquarters in South C, Nairobi.They were also charged with stealing from the church between January 2 and June 30 where they denied the charges, the Star reports.The church leaders were fired and their mugshots published in local dailies to warn the public against transacting any business with them on behalf of the church.The case will be mentioned on November 3, while the hearing will be on January 18, 2018.

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