Anti tax demos: 35 accused of vandalising Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina’s supermarket charged
Part of the 35 suspects who appeared before the Nyeri Law Court, where they were charged for breaking and stealing goods from Chieni Supermarket in Nyeri town during the anti-Finance Bill protests on Tuesday.
What you need to know:
- The prosecution led by Solomon Naulika urged the court to consider the huge loses in question while granting bail, noting that it was half a billion.
- Even so, in her ruling, Magistrate Angima granted the suspects a cash bail of Sh3,000, on the first count, noting that they were innocent until proven guilty.
Thirty-five people who allegedly vandalised Chieni Supermarket during the anti-Finance Bill protests on Tuesday have been arraigned before a Nyeri Court.
The suspects are accused of stealing goods worth Sh550 million from the business belonging to Kieni MP Njoroge Wainaina.
Appearing before Senior Resident Magistrate Edina Angima in a virtual court session on Friday, they were charged with a count of breaking and stealing assorted goods from the premises.
The court heard that they committed the offence on June 25, jointly with others who were not before the court.
In an alternative charge, three of the suspects- James Maina, James Mukundi and James Kamangara were each accused of handling stolen goods.
Mukundi was accused of being found in possession of a bale of two kilograms of wheat flour, six packets of two-kilograms maize meal, a tin of 500 grams of cooking fat and two packets of 250 grams sugar.
Maina was accused of dishonestly retaining jerricans of three and five litres of cooking oil, four bottles of 300-millilitre cooking oil, eight bars of soap and a packet of two-kilogram wheat flour.
For Kamangara, he was said to have been found with four bales of two-kilogram maize meal, a bale of wheat flour, two packets of two-kilogram wheat flour, a bale of two-kilogram baking flour, a bag of 25 kilograms of rice, a bag of 50 kilograms brown sugar, two jerricans of 10 litres and another of five litres cooking oil, four bottles of two litres cooking oil, two litres of cooking oil and a box of milk.
The court heard that the items were found in different vehicles within the town on June 25.
The suspects denied all the charges.
Lawyers Wambui Mwangi and Muhoho Gichimu who represented part of the suspects requested the court to release them on reasonable bond or bail terms.
“My client was arrested at 8pm on Tuesday and brought to court after three days, a police action which was against his constitutional rights. I request the court to release him on reasonable bond or bail terms, I will make sure that he attends all court sessions,” she said.
The prosecution led by Solomon Naulika urged the court to consider the huge loses in question while granting bail, noting that it was half a billion.
Even so, in her ruling, magistrate Angima granted the suspects a cash bail of Sh3,000, on the first count, noting that they were innocent until proven guilty.
Ms Angima said she made the decision as per the Judiciary guidelines of bond and bail terms.
“The court cannot give high terms for bond and bail just because the amount in question is huge,” she said in her ruling.
The three suspects who were charged with an additional alternative charge of being in possession of stolen goods were released on a bond of Sh50,000 or a cash bail of Sh20,000.
The case continues on July 18.
