Former Isiolo South Member of Parliament Abdi Tepo has been charged with the possession of fake bank notes among four other counts at the Milimani Law Courts on Monday, July 29, 2024.
The former MP was arrested alongside his wife who worked at the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
“On the 25th day of July 2024, at Donholm estate within Nairobi County, Abdi Koropu Tepo was found in possession of 34,200 forged USD currency notes for one hundred denomination knowing them to be forged, ” the charge sheet read in part.
Tepo was also charged with the making or possession of paper or implements of forgery contrary to section 367 (a) of the Penal Code. Investigators noted that Tepo was arrested with some 300 pieces of paper intended to resemble paper used in making Euro notes.
Additionally, he was charged with the possession of a firearm without a valid firearm certificate contrary to section 4 (a) of the Firearm Act.
Tepo was also charged with being in possession of ammunition contrary to Section 4 of the Firearm Act. Detectives told the court that the former MP had at least 8o rounds of 9mm ammunition alongside his Ceska pistol.
He was also charged with failure to comply with any condition to which a firearm certificate is held contrary to section 4 (2) (b) as read with section 5 (9) of the firearm act Cap 114 of the laws of Kenya.
The MP pleaded not guilty to the possession of forged bank notes and was released on a cash bail of Ksh100,000 and one contact person.
MP’s dramatic arrest
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Thursday, July 25, 2024, arrested the former Member of Parliament and his wife in a raid which led to the recovery of assorted items.
According to the anti-graft body, the couple was arrested after the former Isiolo MP attempted to open fire at the detectives during the raid.
The operation targeted Tepo’s wife- Halima Gura, a former quality assurance officer at the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
The detectives conducted the evening raid to investigate fraudulent payments made to Beirut Pharmacy and Medical Centre in Eastleigh between 2021 and 2023 amounting to Ksh199 million.
“During the operation, detectives recovered two briefcases full of US dollars, estimated to be in millions, and assorted chemicals (in powder and liquid form) suspected to be used for making fake notes. Samples of the notes tested at the EACC Integrated Financial Forensic Lab were fake,” EACC said.