Obado to spend weekend in custody after failing to get bail

Migori Governor Okoth Obado will remain in police custody until Monday next week when the Anti-Corruption court in Nairobi will rule on his request to be released on bail pending trial.

Milimani chief magistrate Lawrence Mugambi said due to the submissions made by both the defence and the prosecution on the bail application, the court could not be able to make the ruling immediately.

The magistrate rejected an argument by Mr Obado and his 10 co-accused persons that allowing their detainment in police cells would expose them to the risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus. Mr Mugambi described the argument as presumptive.

The governor requested to be released on bond after denying 28 charges of graft, money laundering, conflict of interest and unlawful acquisition of public funds in the Sh73 million fraud scandal.

They answered to the charges alongside 13 trading companies yesterday afternoon after being kept waiting for more three hours within the court.

Through a legal team of seven lawyers led by Senior Counsel Kioko Kilukumi, the accused had also sought to be released on personal bonds pending the determination of their application.

Lawyer Kilukumi said the 58-year-old governor is susceptible to contracting the deadly Covid-19 in police custody adding that he is not a flight risk, and that he surrendered himself to the anti-corruption authority in Kisii following media reports that he was being sought.

"He is on bail on another case (murder) whose punishment is death but he has not ran away. He drove himself to the EACC office in Kisii,” Mr Kilukumi told the court.

Tanzania border was near and he would have ran away. He believes in rule of law and has demonstrated compliance.