On Tuesday, Milimani Anti-Corruption Court released an affiliate of Jubilee party charged with land fraud.
Nakuru West Mp Samuel Arama was freed on Ksh1 million bail or Ksh2 million bond with a surety of a similar amount.
Arama was charged alongside lawyer Kennedy Onkoba who was released under similar terms.
[caption caption="Samuel Arama and Kennedy Onkoba appearing before Justice Douglas Ogot"]
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The legislator is facing charges of conspiracy to defraud, making a document without authority, knowingly altering a document with an attempt to deceive, obtaining registration of land under false pretense, fraudulently procuring the registration of a certificate of ownership and knowingly misleading an anti-corruption investigator.
The prosecution submitted to the court that the Ethics and Anti_Corruption Commission (EACC) investigated claims of abuse of office and fraudulent dealings by Arama in collusion with Nakuru Land registry officials.
Arama is also accused of giving EACC investigators documents proving that he had bought the contested piece of land for ksh60 million.
The two got a reprieve after their defense lawyer Migos Ogamba pleaded with the court to free them citing it was their constitutional right.
“The accused are innocent until proven guilty and there are no compelling reasons as to why they should be denied bail,” Ogamba stated.
In making the ruling, Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogot noted that the prosecution did not provide enough evidence to warrant the custody of the two.
“It is their constitutional right to be granted bail pending the hearing and determination of the case,” he ruled.
The MP was arrested and detained at Railways Police station in Nakuru on Friday but was later moved to Nairobi after a group of youth stormed the station demanding his release.
[caption caption="Arama addressing Nakuru constituents"]
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