A man accused of impersonating a University don and falsely implicating the Kirinyaga Deputy Governor, Peter Ndambiri in the loss of Sh.138 million meant for e-learning, has been released on bond.
Bernard Ngugi Muita, according to his personal details from the National Registration Bureau after his fingerprints were examined, was arrested on July 8 along Garissa road and had no identification documents.
Muita who had presented himself to Ndambiri as Prof. Mwachodzi Mwachofi was on the run for two months after complaints were raised about his operations in the county when it emerged he was demanding money from some school principals over the e-learning program he was to provide through 5 G networks for free.
A senior detective who asked to be allowed to have the suspect detained at the Wanguru police station for 10 days Inspector Geoffrey Mburugu told the court Muita had jumped bail at the Pangani ;police station over an alleged similar offence.
The prosecution submitted that if the accused was released on bond he was a high flight risk due to the other pending offences police were still investigating.
Local Senior Resident Magistrate, P.M.Mugure however, ruled that the offence was bailable under the 2010 Constitution.
His lawyer, Moses Nyambega submitted that his client was aged 59, diabetic and required regular medical attention which could not be forthcoming if detained at a prison facility given the prevailing Covid -19 pandemic.
He also told the court the prosecution had not produced any evidence from Pangani police station in form of a sworn affidavit or otherwise to ascertain Muita was a wanted man.
The magistrate consequently ordered the accused be released on a Sh.1 million bond with a surety of the same amount or Sh. 200,000 cash bail until August 3 when his case will be further mentioned.
The court further maintained that Prof. Mwachodzi Mwachofi will continue being identified as so until the hearing of the case commenced when the prosecution would now produce the documents containing his real identity from the Registrar of Persons.
He faced four criminals charges which stated that between May 29 and June 5, this year within Karoti Girls High School with intent to defraud he impersonated as Prof. Mwachofi .
The second charge stated that on the same dates and place he presented himself as the Chief Executive Officer for the Homeland International, an NGO which he knew was none existent.
Muita was further charged with falsely, claiming his national identity card which he could not produce on demand was no. 11005993, facts he knew were untrue
He was also charged with operating an NGO which was unregistered as required by the Registrar of Companies.
The accused had also falsely claimed Ndambiri had stashed some of the millions into an offshore bank account operated by his two children after the cash was released by DLAMS an International NGO he claimed was his agent in Kenya.
By Irungu Mwangi
