Jack Alexander Marrian was arraigned at the Kibera Law courts where he denied the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Derrick Kuto, with his lawyer Andrew Wandabwa pleading to have him released on bail/MOSES MUOKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 4 – Two suspects including a British national were on Thursday charged with trafficking in cocaine worth Sh598 million that was seized in Mombasa last week.
Jack Alexander Marrian and Roy Francis Mwanthi appeared at the Kibera Law Courts in Nairobi where they denied the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Derrick Kuto.
The court said it will rule on Monday whether the suspects, who are in police custody, will be released on cash bail or bond as applied by their lawyers, and whether the two cases which were prosecuted separately will be consolidated.
Lawyer Andrew Wandabwa representing the Briton submitted that he did not pose any flight risk since both his parents are residents of Kenya.
“Your honour, nothing has been placed before you or any material for that matter by the way of an affidavit or otherwise to suggest that there are new circumstances that would inform the apprehension that he could be a flight risk,” he stated.
The prosecution however opposed the release of the British national on the grounds that he may interfere with the ongoing probe.
On Mwanthi, the State urged the magistrate to only release him on bond and two sureties that are reflective of the nature of the case.
The two area accused of trafficking in 99 kilograms of cocaine that was seized at the Kilindini Port in Mombasa last week on arrival from South America.
The container was intercepted upon arrival at the port while in transit to Uganda concealed as sugar.
According to port documents, it was part of 18 containers loaded at Santos Port in Brazil on June 20.
Each container “was loaded with 520 bags of sugar.”
Marrian will be held at the Kileleshwa Police Station while Mwanthi will be detained at Gigiri.
About The Author
