Winstone Chiseremi @Wchiseremi

An Eldoret court yesterday turned down a request by the police to detain 99 youths for 14 days to enable them complete investigations against the suspects accused of presenting fake appointment letters to secure military jobs on Sunday.

Principal Magistrate Naomi Wairimu ruled that the investigating officer Victor Omondi did not give compelling reasons to warrant the suspects’ continued stay in custody and ordered them to be released on a bond of Sh100,000 with surety of a similar amount or cash bail of Sh30,000 each.

She also directed the suspects deposit their national identity cards or passports with the court. 

The suspects were also ordered to leave personal details of their parents, home county and villages respectively as conditions for their freedom.

While applying to the court to grant them permission to hold the suspects in custody for 14 days, the investigating officers said they need more time to complete the probe that will take them to KDF headquarters in Nairobi.

Forensic investigations

He said they intend to record statements from some senior military officers at the Recruits Training School in Eldoret and also at the KDF bases in Nairobi who have been linked to the fake calling letters scam. 

“We shall be required to subject the fake documents to forensic investigations. Also, we are yet to take their finger prints,” said Omondi.

He also told the court the suspects were a flight risk as they come from different parts of the country.

The suspects were accused of possessing forged calling letters and presenting the documents at the Recruits Training School during reporting day on Sunday.

They were arrested at the RTS in Eldoret. 

This was after a certification verification exercise conducted by the KDF officers found that the 99 young men and women had forged calling letters. The case will be mentioned on January 30.