Eleven people accused of involvement in a fake gold and counterfeit US dollar operation will have to wait for the court to assess their personal circumstances before their release terms are determined.
The court directed probation and aftercare services officers to conduct individual assessments of the suspects and prepare pre-bail reports to guide the decision on whether they should be released on bond or cash bail.
The direction followed arguments by both the prosecution and defence over the suitability of releasing the accused while the case is pending.
Prosecution Flags Immigration and Previous Case Concerns
During the proceedings, the prosecution said investigations into the backgrounds of the eleven suspects were still underway.
The State singled out Accused 1, 3, 5 and 9, whose immigration status it said required further examination because they were suspected to be foreign nationals.
The prosecution also brought to the court’s attention an existing criminal matter at the Kibera Law Courts, MCCR E111 of 2025, in which Accused 9 was reportedly a suspect. Accused 2 was said to have acted as a surety in that case.
Accused 4 was also flagged over suspicions that the individual could be a serving police officer.
Rather than formally contesting the suspects’ constitutional right to bail, the prosecution asked the court to obtain more information about their residential addresses, family circumstances, financial standing and connections within their communities.
Defence Cites Family Responsibilities and Health
The defence urged the court not to prolong the suspects’ detention, arguing that they had already spent more than a week in custody.
Lawyers maintained that the nature of the accusations, including conspiracy and possession of forged currency, should not by itself prevent the accused from accessing bail.
They also presented circumstances they wanted considered individually.
Accused 7 was described as a single mother whose four-year-old child had been left under the care of relatives following her arrest.
For Accused 8 and 10, their lawyers said their spouses had attended court and were prepared to serve as contact persons and sureties.
Defence counsel for Accused 2 and 11 also raised medical concerns, asking the court to take their health circumstances into account when setting release conditions.
The lawyers further argued that relatives attending the proceedings demonstrated that the suspects had family and community support that could help ensure their attendance in court.
Probation Officers Tasked With Assessments
In its directions, the court ordered probation and aftercare services officers to prepare separate pre-bail reports for each of the eleven accused persons.
The assessments are intended to provide information that will assist the court in determining suitable bond or cash bail conditions for each suspect.
The matter was scheduled for October 19, 2026, for consideration of the reports, determination of bail terms and further directions.
