Two men facing separate charges of fraud and theft were on Friday arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts, where one of them was ordered to remain in custody pending a ruling on his bail application.
In the first case, Edmond Kiprono was charged
with two counts of conspiracy to steal Sh5 million from Guaranty Trust Bank
Kenya Limited, together with five others.
The court heard that Kiprono had previously been
released on a police bail of Sh100,000 after his arrest. However, he failed to
appear in court on December 11, 2024, for plea taking, prompting the issuance
of a warrant of arrest.
His lawyer told the court that Kiprono had been
engaging in negotiations with the complainant until August and had lost contact
with the investigating officer after losing his phone.
The defense added that the accused was not a flight risk and did not resist
arrest when he was eventually found.
The lawyer requested the court to reinstate
the earlier police bail, stating that the accused would comply with all court
dates moving forward.
However, the prosecution opposed the request,
arguing that the accused had to be tracked down and brought to court by the
investigating officer, indicating he could not be trusted to appear
voluntarily.
The court ruled that Kiprono remain in custody
until July 29, 2025, when it will deliver a decision on whether to grant him
bail or bond.
In a separate case, Leonard Kioko Muthiani was charged with 16 counts related to conspiracy to commit a felony, cheating, and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
According to the first count, Muthiani is accused of conspiring with others not before court to steal Sh1,620,000 from Co-operative Bank between July 10 and July 23, 2025.
He denied all charges and was released on a bond of Sh1 million or an alternative cash bail of Sh500,000.
His case will be mentioned on August 12, 2025, for further directions.
