Sirisia MP John Waluke was on Friday, November 18, released from jail. The MP was released on Sh10 million cash bail pending an appeal he has filed over his conviction in the Sh300M NCPB maize case.
Waluke and his business partner Grace Wakhungu were sent back to prison by the High court after it upheld a decision by the magistrate’s court that found the duo guilty of fraudulently acquiring Sh313million from a government agency.
Wakhungu got a 69-year jail term. Both were given the option of Sh 1 billion fine. They are both directors of Erad Suppliers.
It is alleged that they fraudulently acquired the Sh313 million purporting it to be the costs of storage of 40,000 metric tonnes of white maize purportedly incurred by Chelsea Freights.
They were aggrieved by their conviction and sentencing and subsequently filed an appeal at the High court.
They were, however, dealt a blow at the high court their sentencing was upheld.
Judge Esther Maina said the sentences were not excessive but within the law.
She also said the invoice upon which the claim for payment was based was a forgery.
“Waluke presented it to the arbitrator knowing Erad Supplied Limited had no deal with the maker of the invoice -Chelsea freight limited- and as a result, it was paid huge sums of money by a public body,” she said.
The appeal court will now be the ultimate decider of their fate.
Source-https://www.nairobileo.co.ke/
Waluke Demands Ksh 300M From Govt, Hrs After Leaving Prison
Sirisia Member of Parliament, John Waluke, on Friday, November 18, demanded Ksh300 million from President William Ruto’s government.
Waluke, who was released from prison on a Ksh10 million cash bail, accused the government of refusing to pay the debt owed to him.
He insisted that the credit stemmed from a 2004 maize supply deal that prosecutors claim was fake, thus urging the court to deny his prayers.
The Jubilee MP did not indicate whether the money would form part of the Ksh1 billion fine he was asked to pay to secure his long-term freedom, nor would aid him in appealing the case.
Waluke appealed his case at the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the 67-year jail sentence with an alternative of a Ksh1 billion fine.
His case was compounded by the High Court upholding the lower court’s verdict. Waluke was thrown back into Kamiti Maximum Prison to serve his sentence on Thursday, October 5.
Waluke was first sentenced on June 25, 2020, alongside Grace Wakhungu, with whom he was accused of defrauding state corporation, National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), over Ksh297 million.
The Magistrate’s Court found the two guilty, ruling that the evidence presented in court was sufficient to convict the two.
Following his release, a three-judge bench of Court of Appeal, comprising of Justices Asike Makhandia, Grace Ngenye and Sankale ole Kantai will determine his appeal.
Waluke, however, faces stiff opposition from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Noordin Haji, who asked the appellate court to dismiss the appeal.
Haji wants the court to uphold the ruling and throw Waluke back to jail.
“Applicant was properly convicted and sentenced and is, therefore, until the impugned decision is overturned, serving a lawful sentence,” Haji stated on Wednesday, November 2.
Source-https://www.kenyans.co.ke/
ODM MP John Waluke Released From Jail on Sh10 million Cash Bail
