Peter Gitaa, the embattled CEO of Bomas of Kenya, has entered a plea of not guilty to eight charges of failure to adhere to procurement regulations.
Gitaa was apprehended by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on April 26 on allegations of involvement in a procurement fraud amounting to Ksh.8,587,831. He has been granted bail set at Ksh.1 million.
In a ruling issued on Monday, Magistrate Thomas Nzuki granted Gitaa bail or an alternative bond of Ksh.5 million, with a requirement of a surety of a similar amount.
Additionally, the court ordered him to surrender his travel documents and refrain from tampering with witnesses.
The prosecution was instructed to provide witness statements and any other pertinent documents essential to the case.
Gitaa’s legal representatives argued for his release on bail, asserting that the charges brought against him are unfounded and driven by malice. They emphasized Gitaa’s financial hardship, noting his unemployment since the previous year without any income.
The prosecution did not oppose Gitaa’s release on bail but urged the court to consider the gravity of the offenses.
“We are asking that he deposits his passport if he has one before court,” the prosecution informed the court.
