City billionaire who is at loggerheads with the government over a Ksh2.2 billion tax evasion case has been released on a cash bail of Ksh50,000 or Ksh100,000 bond with similar surety for possession of a firearm without valid certificate.
Mary Wambui Mungai, who was arrested by police officers on Wednesday, January 5, was represented by Law Society of Kenya president, Nelson Havi, and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, Kipchumba Murkomen.
The judge ordered that the case be mentioned on Tuesday, January 25.
Wambui, who is the Purma Holdings director, had been detained at Muthaiga Police Station.
She had initially surrendered her firearm- a semi-automatic CZ 75 to Runda Police Station on December 15, 2021. This is after the Firearms Licensing Board claimed that she was in possession of the gun illegally.
The board had argued that her licence had since expired and that she needed to surrender the gun and can only be able to get it back once the licence is renewed.
Media reports, however, indicated that Wambui was in the process of renewing her licence but found the board's offices closed on the day she visited.
Details on the expiry of her license came into the public limelight after detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided her Weston Hotel room- owned by Deputy President William Ruto.
Upon evading police capture at the hotel, the businesswoman - who was in the company of her daughter - left behind some of their documents including bank cards, car keys and the expired firearms license.
"In the process of preparing an inventory, we came across a firearm licensing certificate issued to you by the Firearms Licensing board.
"The said license expired on 17/4/2020. By implication, you are illegally in possession of the firearm,” read the police report.
