Nairobi — Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and two co-accused persons implicated in the Finland Scholarship saga have been granted bond of Sh 2 million and surety of a similar amount or an alternative of a Sh 500, 000 cash bail.
Senator Mandago alongside senior county officials Joshua Lelei and Meshack Rono appeared in a Nakuru court on Thursday after spending a night in custody following their arrest on Wednesday
The presiding Nakuru Senior Principal Magistrate, Peter Ndege emphasized that criminal proceedings against the accused individuals cannot commence due to the absence of one other suspect linked to the fraudulent scheme.
The judge underscored that the right to bail or bond is fundamental right for everyone- even for individuals who have been arrested but not yet charged
"The fact that plea is yet to be taken should not be a bar against the release on bail in a case where the prosecution had no objection in the first to the lifting of the warrant of arrest which they had applied for earlier on," ruled Ndege.
"I do therefore consider accused 2, 3 and 4 who are present today be released on bond of Sh 2 million bond and one surety of a similar amount or cash bail of Sh 500,000 pending plea and /or the arrest of the first accused person."
Furthermore, the court ruled that the prosecution has a window of 14 days to appeal the decision.
The court will later in the day set the date for plea-taking and instructed the prosecution to separate the matter so that the first accused who is still at large be charged separately.
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Though the Directorate of Criminal Investigations argued that the whereabouts of the first accused- Joseph Maritim is yet to be established, his lawyer revealed that his client is in Canada and refuted allegations that his client fled the country to avoid arrest.
Maritim's lawyer told the court that his client travelled overseas before the investigations kickstarted.
On Wednesday President William Ruto asserted that any individuals found culpable of embezzling funds from parents and students in the Finland scholarship programme must take responsibility for their actions.
Senator Jackson Mandago who has been linked to the Finland Scholarship programme is a close ally of President Ruto.
Nonetheless, the Head of State has made it clear that everyone involved in the scandal will be held to account.
