Blow for politician Jaffer Isaak Sora as court refuses to review bond

Jaffer Isaak Sora, who had his sights set on the presidency in 2013, suffered a blow on Thursday as the Meru High Court dismissed his application to review his release terms in a bhang trafficking case.

The politician was arrested at a roadblock in Marsabit town on June 18 allegedly while transporting 400 kilograms of bhang.

When he was first arraigned, the 45-year old was granted release on a Sh6 million bond with two sureties of the same amount, or a Sh3 million cash bail, which he was unable to raise.

He then engaged lawyer Njengo, who on July 4 succeeded in having the bond halved.

NO MERIT

In his ruling on Thursday, justice Juma Chitembwe said the bond was reasonable so Mr Sora and his two co-accused persons should be content with it.

Mr Chitembwe observed that the Marsabit court already reduced the initial figure of Sh6 million.

“The accused were granted bond terms which, in my view, are neither excessive nor unreasonable, taking into account the circumstances of this case," he said.

"Apart from the order that the applicants should not be reporting to the DCI as directed by the trial court, the application lacks merit."

DCI

Mr Sora, Mr Hassan Dima Hirbo and Jeffer Kanu Issack Sora are accused of trafficking the bhang worth Sh11.5 million.

They are said to have been ferrying the narcotics suspected to have been sourced from Ethiopia in a small trailer which was being pulled using his Toyota Prado.

The judge, however, lifted the order for the accused to report tot he Directorate of Criminal Investigations on the Wednesday of the last week of every month.

ARGUMENTS

After the bond was reduced to Sh3 million, Mr Sora still could not secure it so he was remanded at the Marsabit GK Prison.

While applying for the review, lawyer Njengo Mwangi argued that the amount was prohibitive and that his client could not raise it.

Mr Mwangi cited article 49 of the Constitution that says accused persons should be released on reasonable terms.

The lawyer further told justice Juma Chitembwe that his client was losing out on his education as he needed to travel to Britain, where he is a student.

He added that Mr Sora is not a flight risk since his family lives in Nairobi and because he wants to vie for the presidency in the 2022 general election.

The trial was earlier set for July 25.