A Murang’a county executive was on Monday charged with breaking into a house and stealing equipment valued at Sh8 million and Sh130,000 in cash.
Pius Macharia who is the Murang'a CEC for roads, however denied the charges before a Kandara magistrate's court.
He was accused of stealing goods worth Sh8 million from Isaac Chetambe at Kenol town on June 3, 2023. The offence was jointly committed with others who were not before the court.
The court heard that Macharia broke into Chetambe’s house from where he was also accused of stealing Sh130,000 in cash.
The prosecution told resident magistrate Reginald Kimeu that the accused also stole some medical equipment from the house.
The machines, the court heard, were new and were to be transported to a hospital in Kenol town.
Among the machines Macharia was accused of stealing were an echo machine valued at Sh1,800,000, a full haemogram valued at Sh470,000 and an immuno assay analyser worth Sh350,000.
Others included a Sh2,570,000 Endoscopy Portable FHD Machine, Sh700,000 portable ultrasound machine, Sh1,200,000 ventilator machine and a Sh280,000 ECG machine among others.
Macharia was arrested on June 22 this year in Nairobi after which the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution approved the charges against him.
He denied the charge and pleaded with the court to release him on reasonable bail terms.
The court released him on a bond of Sh2 million and a surety of a similar amount with an alternative cash bail of Sh800,000.
His request for bail/bond was not opposed by prosecution counsel Maximillar Keitany.
The magistrate scheduled the case for a mention on July 15, and directed that the accused person's counsel be supplied with copies of the witness statements.
