KRA employees freed on Sh200,000 bail

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) employees who had been detained for a two weeks period on Friday obtained reprieve after the High Court freed them on a cash bail of Sh 200,000.

Justice Luka Kimaru agreed to release on bail the 38 KRA employees — who are being investigated over tax evasion claims — but indicated that he will give a detailed ruling with reasons on Tuesday next week.

The Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had asked the court to detain the suspects for 21 days, but Senior Resident Magistrate Paul Mayova, who listened to pleas from both sides, ruled that the suspects remain in custody for 14 days.

According to the DCI, 48 officials are yet to be arrested despite investigations starting four months ago and that police still needed more time to complete their probe.

But the employees who have been in custody since May 10, had pleaded with the court to free them on bail.

Through their lawyers, they claimed that the allegations facing them are merely politically instigated and that their continuous detention violated their right to freedom since no charges have been lodged against them.

They argued that since they have all been interdicted, they would not be in a position to interfere with the ongoing probe.