He denied five counts, including possession of fake currency, possession of a firearm and ammunition without a valid licence, and failure to renew a firearm certificate.
Former Isiolo South MP Abdi Tepo has been directed to pay a cash bail of Ksh100,000 after he was charged with possession of fake US dollars worth Ksh4.5 million ($34,200).
The former lawmaker was arrested on Thursday, July 25 alongside his wife Halima Gura Roka, a Quality Assurance Officer at the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). He was arraigned before the Milimani chief magistrate Bernard Ochoi on Monday, July 29.
He denied five counts, including possession of fake currency, possession of a firearm and ammunition without a valid licence, and failure to renew a firearm certificate.
He also denied that on July 25, 2024, at Donholm Estate, Nairobi, he was allegedly found in possession of the fake dollars in one hundred denominations. In the second count, he was charged with making 300 pieces of paper intended to resemble and pass as papers used for making Euro currency notes.
Former Isiolo South MP Abdi Tepo and his wife. /PHOTO
He also denied having a pistol, Ceska CZ 75, without a valid license from the Firearm Licencing Board and was further accused of being in possession of 80 rounds of ammunition, 9 mm calibre, without a licence. The last charge stated that he neglected and failed to renew his firearm certificate.
The defence lawyer applied for his release on bond saying he was out on a police cash bail of Ksh100,000 and that he turned up in court to answer the charges against him.
“The accused herein is a former MP and a law-abiding citizen who undertakes to comply with the bond terms that will be imposed,” Eric Theuri, a former president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), told the court.
State prosecutor James Gachoka did not oppose the bail plea saying Article 49 of the Constitution mandates the court to impose bail terms. In his judgment, the magistrate noted that the accused presented himself to court as an indication of good faith.
He directed that he deposit a cash bail of Ksh100,000 until August 12, 2024, when the matter will be mentioned for further directions.
Tepo and his wife were arrested on Thursday afternoon after the MP purported to open fire at EACC detectives who had gone to his residence for a search operation targeting her, a prime suspect in the multi-million NHIF graft scandal under investigation by the Commission.
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.
“This evening, OCS EACC Police Station handed over the former MP, his wife, and various recovered items, including the fake notes, Ceska Pistol with an expired firearm permit, and assorted chemicals, to the DCI under whose jurisdiction the matter lies.
“Today’s operation targeted seven prime suspects in the NHIF scam, including the MP’s wife, a former NHIF Quality Assurance Officer, the Eastleigh NHIF Branch Manager, and 5 Directors of Beirut Pharmacy which fraudulently obtained Ksh199 million from NHIF through fictitious claims facilitated by the NHIF officials,” EACC stated on July 25.
The Beirut Pharmacy matter is among several NHIF cases under investigation to inform the prosecution of any culpable persons and recovery of lost public funds.
EACC offices at Integrity Centre in Nairobi. /FILE