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A businesswoman who allegedly used Raila Odinga’s name in a Sh25 million fake mosquito’s net tender has been released on a Sh1 million bail.

Milimani Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi released Faith Mwikali Ndiwa after spending days in custody after being charged with defrauding a Nigerian national of Sh25 million.

The court gave her an alternative of a bond of Sh5 million.

However, the case took a dramatic turn when an American citizen claimed she conned him Sh27 million in the same fiasco.

Mwikali allegedly fraudulently obtained Sh27 million from Samson Kikaya an American citizen with dual citizenship.

While obtaining the money from Kikaya, the investigating officer said the accused presented herself to him as Faith Nthiwa.

The crime investigations bureau officer Kapario Lekakeny told Magistrate Ekhubi that the accused also uses the name of Eunice Karehu.

Uses three names

“I urge this court to decline to free the accused on bond since she is a flight risk. She uses three names Faith Mwikali Ndiwa, Faitha Nthiwa and Eunice Karehu. DCI wants to establish from the registration bureau her true identity,” Lekakeny told the court. She also pauses as programme manager of UNDP, the court heard. He said Samson Kikaya identified the accused after reading a media report.

As a consequence, he proceeded to the California police station where he filed a report. The magistrate was urged to deny her bail to enable police to file further information which will enable the court to make an informed decision.

State prosecutor Virginia Kariuki buttressed Lekakeny’s position by asserting that police need more time to put across all the relevant information about the accused.

However, defence lawyers Nicholas Kamwendwa and Kibet Cheboi vehemently opposed the police plea to have the suspect be detained to avail further evidence to the court. “No compelling reasons have been advanced to warrant the court deny the accused bond,” Kamwendwa said.

Mwikali was charged on Monday with defrauding a Nigerian investor Sh25 million in anti-malaria nets deal.

On Tuesday she claimed to be the wife of the complainant and termed the matter in question as a matrimonial issue. Mwikali has denied eight counts of forgery, uttering false documents and obtaining money through pretences.