Juja MP gets Sh500k bail in papers forgery case

Juja MP George Koimburi was granted Sh500,000 bail by a Kiambu court on allegations of skipping four hearings in his academic forgery case.

Magistrate Mwanamkuu Sudi dismissed a plea by Director of Public Prosecutions to have the MP remanded in custody pending hearing and determination of his forgery case which was revived last week. The prosecution had filed an application seeking to deny the accused bail, citing his history of failing to attend court sessions in a previous case filed in 2021. 

Inspector Ian Makumi, who swore an affidavit for the prosecution, detailed Koimburi’s history of absconding court.  “The accused had been charged in 2021 with forgery of his academic certificates, where he absconded court, leading to the issuance of warrants for his arrest,” Makumi stated. 

“The prosecution had no choice but to withdraw the case under Section 87A of the Criminal Procedure Code after the accused failed to appear on several occasions.”

Makumi also listed the dates when Koimburi failed to show up, including September 16, 2021, when arrest warrants were issued, and mention date set for November 22, 2021.

On this day, Koimburi appeared virtually, but the court ordered he appears physically on March 14, 2022.  However, he skipped hearings scheduled for April 6, May 9, June 9, and August 29, 2022, resulting in the forfeiture of his cash bail and continuation of arrest warrants against the lawmaker.

However,  Koimburi’s legal team, led by lawyers Dan Maanzo and Njiru Ndegwa, opposed the application to deny bail. “George Koimburi is not a flight risk,” argued Maanzo.

“He is a state officer with a known address, including his parliamentary office, constituency office, and residence. He has complied with court orders in the past.”

The defence also emphasized that the charges against Koimburi  were misdemeanors.