{UAH} Ocen/Pojim/Bobby: Governor Ojaamong’ faces 7 counts of fraud

Governor Ojaamong' faces 7 counts of fraud

Wednesday July 4 2018

Busia County Governor Sospeter Ojaamong at the Anti-Corruption Court in Milimani, Nairobi, on July 4, 2018. He faced seven counts of corruption-related charges. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Mr Ojaamong' and the officials were accused of defrauding the county government of Sh8 million.
• Others charges included wilful failure to comply with the law relating to management of public funds and fraudulent acquisition of public property.
• They denied all the charges.

By SAM KIPLAGAT
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Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong' and three Busia County ministers have been charged with seven counts of fraud. 

The ministers are Mr Bernard Yaite, Mr Allan Ekweny and Mr Samuel Ombui.

The four were arraigned at the Anti-Corruption Court in Milimani, Nairobi, on Wednesday after being held in cells for more than four hours at Integrity Centre — the headquarters of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

ECONOMIC CRIME

The court heard that they engaged a company known as Madam R Enterprise to conduct a feasibility study on waste management, yet it had not been budgeted for.

Mr Ojaamong' and the officials were accused of defrauding the county government of Sh8 million.

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They faced various counts — including abuse of office, conspiracy to commit an economic crime and engaging in a project without proper planning.

Other charges included wilful failure to comply with the law relating to management of public funds and fraudulent acquisition of public property.

They denied all the charges.

Senior assistant director of public prosecutions Alexander Muteti applied for warrants of arrest against six other people.

They include Mr Timon Otieno and Mr Leonard Wanda.

Others are alleged directors of Madam R Enterprise Edna Adhiambo,  Renish Achieng and Sebastian Hallensleben, a German citizen.

The court heard that they committed the offence between March 15 and September 25, 2014.

CONTRACT

They are jointly accused of conspiring to commit an economic crime by engaging in a scheme to defraud the county government of Busia of Sh8 million by entering into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the study.

Mr Ojaamong' is being accused of intentionally entering into an MOU with the firm even though he knew that the study had not been budgeted for in the year 2013/2014.

He is said to have entered into the contract while in Berlin, Germany, on April 7, 2014.

The Busia governor is also accused of abuse of office by improperly conferring a benefit.