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Baniyas Square: Judge reviews theft suspect’s Sh10m bail to Sh200,000
The High Court has reduced the cash imposed on a 29-year-old man facing charges of stealing goods worth Sh37 million from an entertainment club during the anti-Finance Bill protests in Eldoret town last week.
High Court judge John Robert Wananda directed Mr John Paul Mutua to deposit cash bail of Sh200,000 to secure his release.
An Eldoret court had earlier directed Mr Mutua to deposit cash bail of Sh10 million to secure his release.
“That considering that the value of the items alleged in the charge sheet filed in Eldoret MCCR/E1433/2024 to have been stolen is approximately, Sh 37,000,000, the Applicant is, in the meantime, admitted to bail/bond and released from custody on reviewed/revised terms from those imposed by the trial Court, namely, bond of Sh150,000 with 1 surety and in the alternative, cash bail of Sh200,000,” Justice Wananda said.
Mr Mutua appeared before Eldoret principal magistrate Cheronoh Kesse on Tuesday and denied the charges levelled against him.
He is accused of stealing several items from Baniyas Square, a popular entertainment joint in Eldoret, an offence he allegedly committed on June 25.
The magistrate then directed him to deposit a bond of Sh10 million with two sureties of a similar amount, after denying the charge.
According to the charge sheet, Mr Mutua in the company of others still at large, broke into Baniyas Square and stole items including alcohol, electronics, sound systems, utensils, gas cylinders, chairs, and foods valued at Sh37 million.
Mutua was also charged with an alternative count of handling stolen property. It is alleged that he was found with a channel sound craft mixer, a mini pearl controller DMX, and an HDMI box knowing or having reason to believe they were stolen goods.
The accused pensively looked at the magistrate for about five minutes as the charges were read to him. He tried to raise his hand to attract her attention when the bond was read out, in vain.
He denied the charges of breaking into a building and committing the felony as well as handling stolen goods.
A section of lawyers who were in the court were also left in confusion as the court slapped Mr Mutua with a huge bond.
“It is strange how one man can bear such a huge burden yet this incident happened during a demonstration by Gen Zs. I am thinking of offering the accused pro bono services to move to request the court to review this bond,” said Eldoret-based lawyer George Sonkule.
Mr Mutua moved to the High Court seeking a review of the bail, which was allowed by Justice Wananda.
The prosecution presented in court an inventory of stolen goods attached to the charge sheet indicating various items from the club that were looted and stolen.
The magistrate had said that she had considered the magnitude of the offense and the money in question.
The case will be mentioned on July 15.
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