MP Arama freed on Sh1m bail in fraud case

The anti-corruption court in Nairobi on Tuesday released Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama on Sh1 million bail or a bond of Sh2 million and a surety of a similar amount.

The MP, was arraigned in court on Monday over land fraud charges and requested that he be released on bond pending trial, but the application was opposed by the prosecution.

He denied corruption-related charges preferred against him before Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, who directed that he be held at Kileleshwa police station to await Tuesday’s ruling.

The MP is facing charges of conspiracy to defraud, making a document without authority, knowingly uttering a document with intent to deceive, obtaining registration of land by false presence, fraudulently procuring the registration of a certificate of ownership, and knowingly misleading an anti-corruption investigator.

It is alleged that the offences were committed on diverse dates between August, 2015 and February, 2016.

The MP is also accused of giving the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigators a sale agreement indicating that he had bought the contested land for Sh60 million.

The prosecution told the court that EACC investigated allegations of abuse of office and fraudulent dealings by Mr Arama in collusion with officers in the Nakuru Lands Registry.

The MP was arrested last Friday and detained at Railways police station in Nakuru. But over the weekend, a group of youth stormed the station and demanded his release.

This prompted the EACC and the DPP to consider having Mr Arama tried in Nairobi.

“Given the events unfolding and as witnessed at Railways police station, we are reasonably apprehensive that the activities in Nakuru Law Courts will be disrupted, and court users will be greatly prejudiced if Mr Arama and others are tried there,” stated EACC in court papers.