This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has been charged with a Sh450,000 car sale fraud, a case that has left many questioning his integrity.
According to the charges, Mr Barasa was arrested on Tuesday and taken to Kajiado, where he faced two counts of fraud.
The first count alleges that he fraudulently obtained Sh450,000 from John Irungu Mwangi by pretending he could sell him a Toyota Hiace registration KBX 734E.
The car in question had not been fully paid for at Uwezo Microfinance Bank, and the police report states that the MP committed the offence on March 10, 2017, at Kitengela Township in Isinya Sub-county.
Mr Barasa pleaded not guilty to the charges, dismissing them as flimsy.
His lawyer, George Khaminwa, asked the court to release him on Sh20,000 cash bail, citing his role as a legislator and constituency representative as a guarantee that he would not abscond.
However, Kajiado Resident Magistrate Becky Cheloti dismissed the request and released Mr Barasa on Sh100,000 cash bail.
The case will be mentioned on August 27 and heard on November 27.
