Waziri Chacha: Man accused of conning MPs denied bail
Waziri Benson Masubo Chacha, appears before a Nairobi court on April 12, 2018. He has been denied bail. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Chief Magistrate Roseline Oganyo on Thursday ordered that Mr Chacha should remain in custody until a report of his residence is produced in court.
- Ms Oganyo said that, although the defense lawyers told the court that the accused was of good conduct, a pre-bail report was necessary since Mr Chacha’s character had been soiled.
Mr Waziri Benson Masubo Chacha, the man accused of defrauding Members of Parliament and the public, using Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege’s name, will remain in custody until a pre-bail report from his family and victims is filed in court.
Chief Magistrate Roseline Oganyo on Thursday ordered that Mr Chacha should remain in custody until a report of his residence is produced in court.
“The bail determination by Mr Chacha will be deferred until a pre-bail report from his family members, especially his parents, and victims of the fraud is filed on April 19, 2018,” Ms Oganyo directed.
She ordered that a team of probation officers be dispatched to Mr Chacha’s rural home in Masaba village, Migori County, to interview his parents, relatives, local administration and victims of the fraud and file a report before she makes a decision on a bail plea filed by defense lawyers Job Ngeresa and Edwin Saluny.
RESIDENCE
“I require probation officers to give a report on the accused’s character, conduct and residence since the investigating officer Chief Inspector John Kiprop has said that he (Mr Chacha) is a flight risk,” Ms Oganyo said.
“The suspect was arrested in Tarime, Tanzania, as he attempted to flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo on March 30, 2018,” she added.
She said that, although the defense lawyers told the court that the accused was of good conduct, Mr Chacha’s character had been 'soiled.'
KEHANCHA MAYOR
“Although defense lawyers have said that the accused’s father, Mr Joram Masubo, is a former Kehancha Mayor, and that his family is well known, doubts have been cast and I need a detailed pre-bail report before I grant or deny him bail,” she added. The court deferred the ruling until April 19, 2018.
Meanwhile, the court allowed the investigating officer to consolidate the case against Mr Chacha with those of Multi-Media University students Derrick Ng’etich and Edwin Warukira and that of Safaricom M-Pesa agent Catherine Nyaboke Omwena, who have been charged with conspiring to defraud MPs using Ms Chege’s name. The cases will be consolidated on May 2, 2018.
