Magistrate Sinkiyian Tobiko, on Wednesday ordered Kobia to deposit a Sh100,000 cash bail/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 27 – Businessman Paul Kobia and 13 other suspects have been released on varied bail terms after a magistrate court declined an application by the prosecution to have the fourteen held in police custody for a period of fourteen days to allow detectives time to conclude investigations into an alleged offence of obtaining Sh119 million by false pretenses.
The fourteen were charged at the Milimani Law Courts on Thursday.
Magistrate Sinkiyian Tobiko, on Wednesday said the application by the prosecution is not merited, given that a complaint made to the police over an irregular transaction involving the suspects was not backed with evidence.
She consequently ordered Kobia to deposit a Sh100,000 cash bail.
The 13 suspects presented as co-accused persons were released on Sh100,000 bond each.
The court agreed with defense lawyers that that the prosecution did not demonstrate that the suspects are a flight risk.
The court was persuaded that the suspects will honour future court appearances.
The prosecution had told the court the investigations are still ongoing and warning that the suspects are likely to interfere with investigations if they were set free.
“The investigations are complex, diverse and we are looking at transnational organized crime where some Kobia’s accomplice could be in the neighboring Countries and the offence committed cut across international borders,” the prosecution stated.
The prosecution told the court that between October 7, 2018 and April 25, 2019, a foreigner by the name Italiana Antonio Cianci who traded in gold was duped into buying fake cold worth Sh119.8 million at a private residence in Nairobi’s Riverside Drive.
DCI detectives arrested the suspects on Thursday while acting on a tipoff.
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