- Grand imam Omar Athman Omar denied charges of Umrah fraud of KSh 774,000
- The defense argued that Omar returned to Kenya voluntarily after the alleged offense occurred abroad
- According to court documents seen by TUKO.co.ke, the prosecution opposed bail, citing the risk of travel and the ongoing investigation into additional complaints.
A plea of not guilty was heard in the Milimani Court in the Umra fraud case involving the chief imam brought before the judge.
Source: Original
Omar Athman Omar on Monday, February 9, pleaded not guilty to a charge of obtaining KSh 774,000 by fraud when he appeared before chief magistrate Lucas Onyina.
Court documents seen by TUKO.co.ke show that Omar allegedly received the money from Mahamed Salim Bahlewa after claiming that he could facilitate his participation in the Islamic pilgrimage, Umrah, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
According to the indictment, the incident allegedly occurred between December 18 and 19, 2025, in an undisclosed location in Kenya.
Omar’s lawyers told the court that he is a great imam with deep family and social ties in the country.
“The defendant has a fixed residence in Malindi, although he frequently travels to Saudi Arabia for his work as an imam. Therefore, we agree that he is not a flight risk,” the lawyer said.
Why did Omar Athman Omar deny the charges?
The defense explained that Omar traveled to Saudi Arabia on December 9, 2025, and that the transaction took place on December 18, when he was already outside the country.
His lawyer claimed that this showed Omar had no intention of avoiding justice.
“If Omar was a danger to the plane, he would not have returned to Kenya. He returned specifically to face the allegations,” the lawyer said.
Countering the prosecution’s position, the defense said the investigating officer’s affidavit left out important details.
“We have been given an affidavit sworn by the investigating officer, which contained several details asking the court to order us to extend the detention of the accused in police custody. A close look at paragraph 3 of the affidavit revealed that the officer easily released the date KSh 700,000 even though the accused had to be paid to the court even though he had to face it. The money was paid long after he left for Saudi Arabia, Omar still traveled back to Kenya and those claims,” argued the lawyer.
The defense further contested the claim that Omar had no fixed abode, saying no evidence was presented to support the claim.
Why did the prosecution oppose cash bail?
The prosecution opposed the request for cash or bond, saying that Omar was arrested on February 7, at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport upon arrival and did not voluntarily surrender to the police as required.
Prosecutors argued that his frequent international travel made him a flight risk and referred to court records showing other complaints, including a recent one reported at the Lang’ata Police Station.
“Your Honor, this indicates that there is a possibility of more complaints,” the prosecution submitted.
They also warned that the accused’s release could jeopardize his safety, claiming that the public and the alleged victims may try to confront or harm him.
A judge is expected to rule on February 10, 2026, on whether Omar will be released on cash bail or remain in custody.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
