Rashid Echesa Freed on Sh1 Million Cash Bail

Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa was on Monday afternoon released on a cash bail of Sh1 million or an alternative bond of Sh3 million with a surety of a similar amount.

Earlier in the day, Echesa and his co-accused Daniel Otieno Omondi, Clifford Okoth Onyango, and Kennedy Oyoo Mboya pleaded not guilty to fraud charges before Chief Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot.

They are accused of trying to obtain billions of shillings from two foreigners by falsely pretending they were in a position to award them a tender for supply of military equipment worth Sh39,544,200,000 to the Ministry of Defense.

They faced 12 fraud-related charges among them obtaining money by false pretenses, conspiracy to commit a felony, and uttering a false document.

The court was told that on October 21st, 2019, the accused persons also obtained Sh11.5 million from Kozlowski Stanley Bruno by falsely pretending they would award him the abovementioned tender.

The court further heard that Echesa falsely presented himself to Kozlowski Stanley Bruno and Mamdough Mostafa Amer, both foreigners, as Deputy President William Ruto’s personal assistant at Harambee House Annex on February 13th, 2020.

The prosecution had opposed the release of Echesa on bail arguing that he would interfere with witnesses as well as evidence but the court rejected the plea.

“In this case, the prosecution has not brought any evidence to show that the accused is likely to interfere with witnesses…the prosecution has failed to prove compelling reasons,” ruled Magistrate Cheruiyot.