A man was charged yesterday in Mombasa Law Courts with defrauding Sh1.1 million from Nakuru Chief Magistrate Bildad Ochieng.
Ernest Makori Mogere was charged with obtaining money by falsely claiming to be able to import a Lexus RX270.
He denied receiving $11,250 from Bildad Ochieng on August 21, 2021 in the Mombasa Central Business District.
Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku released the accused on a Sh500,000 bond with one surety and a Sh400,000 cash bail alternative.
“The accused person shall be released upon executing a bond of Sh500,000 with one surety or a cash bail of Sh400,000,” said Mutuku.
Mrs Alice Mburu, the state prosecutor, told the court that Mogere had been hiding since August 2021 and was a flight risk.
She requested that the court impose strict bail conditions on the accused.
“The accused has been hiding since August. We beseech the court to enforce strict bond terms because he is a flight risk,” said Mrs Mburu.
Mogere, on the other hand, denied being in hiding and stated that he has been trying to trace the money.
Mogere stated that he had been working with the magistrate’s wife to recover the funds.
He requested that the court grant him bail so that he could go and find the money.
“I have not been hiding, I have been working with the complainant’s wife trying to get the money back. I ask for favourable bail terms to allow me to go and trace the funds,” pleaded Mogere.
