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Briton in cocaine case freed on Sh70mn bond

Jack Marrian who has been in custody since last Thursday when he first appeared in court has also been ordered to deposit his travel documents with the court/FILE

Jack Marrian who has been in custody since last Thursday when he first appeared in court has also been ordered to deposit his travel documents with the court/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 8 – A British businessman accused of trafficking in cocaine valued at Sh598 million at Kilindini Port in Mombasa has been released on a bond of Sh70 million with two Kenyan sureties.

Jack Marrian who has been in custody since last Thursday when he first appeared in court has also been ordered to deposit his travel documents with the court.

At the same time Kenyan Roy Francis Mwanthi, who is facing similar charges, has released on a bond of Sh60 million with two Kenyan sureties.

Kibera Senior Resident Magistrate Derrick Kuto directed Marrian to report to the investigating officer once every week.

However the prosecution said it was dissatisfied with the bail terms and will appeal the decision.

Kuto in his ruling said he was not convinced by the prosecution to deny the two bail.

He however noted that the offence is serious and deserved stiff bond terms.

Marrian is the managing director of Kenya and Uganda-based Mshale Commodities.

Three men including Marrian were questioned in recent days by a special team of US anti-narcotics agents and their Kenyan counterparts following an Interpol tip-off about the shipment.

The port of Mombasa on Africa’s east coast has long been used as a transit point for drugs bound for Asia and Europe.

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In West Africa, Latin American cocaine traffickers have strengthened their grip since the mid-2000s where drugs money fuels corruption and in the case of tiny Guinea-Bissau – dubbed Africa’s first narco-state – may even outstrip national GDP.

Anti-drug officials say that the issues dogging countries like Guinea-Bissau could be replicated in East Africa.

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