The Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji on Tuesday night put up a spirited fight to block the release of NYS suspects on bail.
The suspects will remain locked up until Tuesday, June 5 when the court will rule on whether to free them pending trial.
If its inclined do so, the court will on that day set their bail terms.
The DPP, who preferred multiple counts relating to theft of Sh468 million from NYS against the suspects, argued that their release on bail was likely going to prejudice the case.
“We are opposed to their release on bail as they are a flight risk and are likely to abscond court,” senior assistant DPP Emily Kamau said.
Charges against 24 suspects among them Youth and Gender PS Lilian Omollo, NYS director general Richard Ndubai and former acting director general Sammy Michuki were read out to them in a long and slow process that began shortly after 2.30pm and ended very late in the night.
Ten files detailing different counts were read against the culprits before Anti-Corruption Court magistrate Douglas Ogoti.
The suspects denied the charges relating to abuse of office, conspiracy to commit an offence of economic crimes, wilful failure to comply with applicable laws, and theft of public property.
However, the suspects opposed the application saying it was their right to be freed on bail regardless of the crime alleged to have been committed.
Omollo told the magistrate that claims by the prosecutor that she was going to abscond court could not stand adding that she has freely availed herself to investigators in not less than 50 times since 2016 when required.
The PS said she has so far been cooperating with investigators and thus incapable of tampering with any evidence relating to NYS.
She said the fear alluded by the prosecution that she was going to interfere with witnesses was not here no there as she was no longer in office and hence has no capacity to do so.
“She is not a risk to public property. She has been a leader in this country and still remains to be one,” her lawyer argued.
