Jesus and Judith: UoN Students Charged with Defrauding Foreigner KSh 15m Granted Bond, Bail
- Two University of Nairobi students, Jesus Imedji and Judith Mbatha, have been released on bond and cash bail following charges of conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money by false pretences
- Principal Magistrate Caroline Nyaguthii ruled that non-citizenship alone is not enough to deny bail, dismissing claims that Jesus posed a flight risk
- The court imposed strict conditions for release, including reporting to police fortnightly and restrictions on contact with complainants
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
Two University of Nairobi students were today granted bail following their arraignment on charges of conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money by false pretences.
Source: UGC
Jesus Imedji, a foreign national, and Judith Mbatha, a Kenyan student, appeared before Principal Magistrate Caroline Nyaguthii at Milimani Law Courts seeking lenient bail terms.
The prosecution opposed the request, with the Investigating Officer (IO) specifically objecting to Jesus's release, arguing that his non-Kenyan status and possession of multiple passports introduced cross-border complexities.
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Why did the court grant bail to the two students?
However, these arguments failed to convince the court.
"The mere fact that an accused person is not a Kenyan national is not sufficient grounds to deny bail," the magistrate stated. She noted that courts have mechanisms to ensure the accused appear for trial.
On the allegations against Judith, the magistrate found the IO’s claims to be unsupported by evidence.
"The mere fact that someone has been charged with an offence does not make her an expert," she remarked.
She added that the investigating team had already confiscated both the accused’s phones for forensic analysis.
Magistrate Nyaguthii emphasised the importance of maintaining the legal presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial. She cautioned against using bail as a form of punishment before the accused are proven guilty in court.
"None shall be punished without the benefit of a fair trial,” she reiterated. “The purpose of bail is to ensure attendance in court, not to pre-judge the outcome.”
While weighing the circumstances, the magistrate ruled that bail and bond terms should be high enough to ensure compliance but not excessive.
In light of Jesus's foreign status and the nature of the offence, the court imposed stringent conditions for his release.
Source: UGC
What terms did court grant Jesus and Judith?
Jesus was granted a bond of KSh 2 million with two sureties of the same amount. Judith was offered an option: either a bond of KSh 2 million or a cash bail of KSh 1 million, also with two sureties of equivalent value.
Both accused must report to the police station every two weeks until otherwise directed by the court.
Jesus is prohibited from contacting the complainant or any witnesses, either directly or indirectly. The court further directed that the Central African Republic Embassy be informed not to issue Jesus with new or replacement passports.
The Immigration Department was also instructed to restrict Jesus’s departure from the country.
Nyaguthii concluded by stating that both accused must attend all court proceedings unless their sureties provide sufficient justification for their absence.
The matter will return to court for a pre-trial hearing on June 19.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
