Former NLC Chairman Muhammad Swazuri Hit With Ksh12M Cash Bail

Former NLC chairman Muhammud Swazuri was released on Tuesday on a cash bail of Ksh12 million after spending the Easter holiday in custody.

Swazuri, alongside several other former officials, had been arrested on Wednesday by the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission detectives over KeNHA land compensation controversy.

10 people that had been co-accused alongside the former NLC chairman have also been released on varying bond terms.

The parcel of land targeted for compulsory acquisition by the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) had initially been valued at Ksh 34 million in 2015.

However, Tornado Carriers Ltd declined their offer and the then NLC Chairman ordered a fresh evaluation of the piece.

The parcel of land was valued again in 2017 and the second evaluation team placed it at Ksh109 million which KeNHA submitted to NLC for further payout to the landowners.

On April 9, 2019, EACC directed the DPP that there was sufficient evidence to warrant prosecution of the suspects in the saga.

Swazuri and his co-accused are likely to face conspiracy to commit an economic crime, abuse of office, financial misconduct, unlawful acquisition of public property, fealing with suspect property and money laundering charges.

In the past, the former NLC chairman has been charged with conspiring to defraud the government of Ksh221.3 million in the SGR compensation scandal.

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