By Grace Gilo
A Makadara court has granted the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to deny bail to online influencer Pascaline Peter, also known as Passy Ma Trevor, and George Mutual Mutunga, alias Imran.
The two individuals are charged with obtaining money by false pretences.
In his ruling, Principal Magistrate Erick Mutunga stated that the prosecution, represented by Counsel Ms. Kaaria Joy Kawira, presented sufficient evidence to warrant the denial of bail for the accused.
“The purpose of bail is to ensure the accused person’s attendance during trial, I have gone through the charges before this court and have put into consideration the applications of the investigating officer and that of the learned counsel in the matter, and I find that the accused persons if released on bond they may have no motivation of attending court,” Magistrate Mutunga ruled.
According to the DPP, the magistrate also noted that the court took into account the safety of the accused and indicated that granting bail could potentially disrupt the prosecution’s case.
Nevertheless, the court has ordered that the case be prioritized for hearing.
The accused are alleged to have fraudulently obtained Ksh. 80 million from the public by falsely claiming that the funds would yield a monthly interest return of 23.5%.
Additionally, they face charges of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to section 317 of the penal code and conducting business as a collective investment scheme without a valid license from the Capital Markets Authority or the Central Bank of Kenya.
The alleged offences occurred on various dates between March 3, 2023, and August 30 of the following year.
The case is scheduled for hearing on January 15, 2025.