Embattled Nairobi City County governor Mike Sonko had bee released on Sh15 milion cash bail.
The Governor who was charged ksh357 million graft case was also barred from accessing his City Hall office and asked to deposit his passport.
Sonko denies charges
On Monday, 9th 2019, Sonko pleaded not guilty to more than 30 charges of money laundering, receiving bribes and conflict of interest after appearing in court under tight security.
Chief public prosecutor Noordin Haji accused Sonko, who was arrested on Friday, and his associates of the misappropriation of ksh357 million.
Sonko pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges when he was arraigned before anti-corruption court magistrate Douglas Ogoti on Monday in a packed court secured by anti-riot police.
“You knowingly acquired property and money knowing it was the proceeds of crime,” a state prosecutor read out one of the charges, to which Sonko replied: “Not true.”
State prosecutors also read out details from Sonko’s bank accounts and several dates on which money was wired in from contractors who had won tenders in the city county.
Sonko was represented in court by a high-profile team of Kenyan lawyers, including the Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen.
The governor spent the weekend in jail after his dramatic arrest in southern Voi saw him scuffle with police before being bundled in a helicopter and flown to Nairobi.
He said in a statement on Sunday that his arrest was politically motivated and that he was a law-abiding citizen.
Sonko urged his supporters to avoid any actions that “may threaten the peace”. Police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of Sonko’s supporters when he was called into the anti-corruption office for questioning in November.
