Najib Balala Released On Bail After Denying Charges In Alleged KSh 8.5b Fraud

• Najib Balala and two others were arrested over the supposed misappropriation of KSh 8.5 billion meant for the construction of an Utalii College constituent school
• The former Tourism CS with his company would face charges of corruption and economic crimes, according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)
• They were presented before the Malindi Law Courts, with Balala denying the charges in his name, securing his release on KSh 1 million cash bail

Kilifi county - Former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has secured his freedom on bail terms after a long day of run-ins with the law.

Balala and two others were apprehended on Thursday evening, December 21, over a KSh 8.5 billion fraud.

How Najib Balala secured his freedom

The trio is part of 16 suspects on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) radar over the alleged multi-billion shilling scandal.

Balala's co-accused are Leah Adda Gwiyo, formerly the principal secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, and Joseph Odero, the managing partner of West Consult Engineers.

They were later, on Friday, December 22, presented to the Malindi Law Courts for plea-taking; Balala denied the charges in his name.

Chief Magistrate James Mwaniki granted the former CS his prayer for cash bail without any objection from the prosecution.

He was also granted an alternative of a KSh 5 million bond.

The case would then be slated for mention on Thursday, December 28.

Running after Balala and his company were detectives from the EACC.

According to the anti-graft agency, Balala would face 10 counts of corruption and economic crimes.

He was accused of conniving with others to overprice the costs in the construction of a constituent school of the larger Utalii College; the college would be named after Ronald Ngala and based in Kilifi.

"After the completion of investigations into these allegations, the commission forwarded the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, who concurred with the recommendations from the commission to charge the former Ministry of Tourism officials.

"The three who were arrested are in the custody of the commission at the Integrity Centre Police Station and they will be taken to court on the morning of Friday, December 22 to face 10 counts of corruption and economic crime," a senior EACC officer said.