An Embu County couple was arraigned at the Kianyaga Law Courts on Tuesday for allegedly faking a maize meal product purporting it to be that of the Kutus town-based Joy Millers.
John Murithi and Mary Wacuka however, did not take plea since the prosecution had not preferred any charges against them due to incomplete investigations.
A police officer investigating the matter swore an affidavit requesting the court to have the suspects remanded in custody for five days to enable a multi-agency investigations complete their work.
According to the affidavit the police officer swore in court the couple was found to have counterfeited 226 packets of 1 kilogram of the Raha maize flour produced by Joy Millers in Kutus town, Kirinyaga County.
But the defence lawyer, Lugard Mogusu opposed the application citing the violation of the fundamental rights of his clients.
“You cannot arrest a person on January 25, which was a Saturday, confine him or her over the weekend in police custody them bring such a suspect to court the following Monday without any preferred charges only to ask to have him or her remain for five more days in custody as you complete your investigations,” Mogusu submitted in court.
He urged the area Residents Magistrate, G. K. Odhiambo to reject the application and have the suspects released on bond to enable the prosecution carry out its investigations.
Odhiambo consequently released the couple on Sh. 20,000 cash bail each until February 2 , when their case will come up for a mention.
The facts of the claimed offence state that on January 25, at Kianjokoma trading centre, Embu County the suspects were found counterfeiting the Raha Premium maize floor produced by the Kutus town based Joy Millers, according to the complainant, Jackline Chomba.
Jackline who is a Director of the Mill claimed the suspects had been involved in the counterfeiting since 2018 until last weekend but had not been arrested leading to heavy losses.
The prosecution led by State Counsel, Nancy Sang said samples of the said counterfeit maize flour had been taken to the Kenya Bureau of Standards and the Government Chemist for analysis.
By Irungu Mwangi
