A former bank manager and two businessmen will each serve 18 months in prison over Ksh96.7 million that was stolen from the financial institution.
The court, on Tuesday, January 11, ruled that the trio will serve the jail term if they fail to refund Ksh15 million stolen within one year.
Milimani Law Courts Chief Magistrate, Francis Andayi, found the three guilty of theft but gave them 12 months to repay the cash that was irregularly diverted from the bank in 2010.
The judgment concluded an 11-year-old case that sought to solve the heist that was allegedly hatched by a controversial politician.
“If you will have not paid the Ksh10.5 million by January 10, 2023, just take yourselves to the prison to serve the 18-month sentence,” Justice Andayi ruled.
Andayi gave the non-custodial sentence after the men told the court they were remorseful and had reformed during the trial. He allowed them to make the initial payment of Ksh10.5 million within one year and the balance within an agreed period of time.
“I note that the accused attended court religiously for the last eleven years,” he noted while issuing his judgment.
According to court documents, the heist was masterminded by a controversial politician and businessman.
Funds deposited by a Chinese firm into an account at the bank was diverted to a construction company account, which was owned by the politician.
After the money was diverted to the construction company bank account, Ksh80 million was transferred to two lawyers.
Notably, the two lawyers, returned the money received by their law firms and charges filed against them were dropped. Afterwards, they were also cleared of any wrongdoing by Justice Mohamed Warsame.
A director attached to the construction company told the court that the politician hatched the plot to steal the money.
Although she was one of the suspects in the matter, the director claimed that she neither participated in nor benefitted from the heist.
