Hg of NYS 2 corruption case involving former PS Lilian Omollo & 36 others starts today. Thro' video clips, flip charts & infographics .@ODPP_KE to demonstrate how accused colluded & facilitated payment of sh 225M to fictitious entities#AntiCorruption_ODPP pic.twitter.com/1QfYV4qfBM
— ODPP_KE (@ODPP_KE) October 29, 2018
The trial of the first batch of suspects linked to the Sh468 million theft at the National Youth Service (NYS) is currently underway.
“Hg of NYS 2 corruption case involving former PS Lilian Omollo & 36 others starts today. Thro’ video clips, flip charts & infographics .@ODPP_KE to demonstrate how accused colluded & facilitated payment of sh 225M to fictitious entities,” read a tweet from the office of the DPP.
From the tweet, the prosecution will today be demonstrating to the court how the accused facilitated the payment of Ksh. 225 million to fake entities. Although the accused appeared in court today, four suspects are still on the run after a warrant of their arrest was issued on August 22.
The four include Mr. Charles Makau Mulandi, Mr. Samuel Otieno, Mr. Patrick Obunya and Mr. Humphrey Odhiambo, all former employees of the NYS. It was expected that the four would take their pleas when the case resumes, but detectives said they are yet to be arrested.
There’s been a twist of events today after the prosecution, appearing before Trial Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, told the court that three suspects in the NYS scandal have turned to State witnesses saying that the charges against them have been withdrawn.
The three are now set to testify against former National Youth Service (NYS) Director, General Richard Ndubai, former Youth and Gender Affairs Principal Secretary Lilian Omollo and other suspects charged in the scandal related to the the theft of funds at the youth agency.
The accused will be charged with offences of conspiracy to commit an offence of economic crime, abuse of office, willful failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to management of public funds.
Other charges include neglect of official duties, fraudulently making payments, breach of trust, making documents without authority, uttering false documents, false accounting, fraudulent acquisition of public property, dealing with suspect property and money laundering.
“The Prosecution shall endeavor to prove the ingredients of each and every charge against the accused persons through primary evidence, expert witnesses, graphs, electronic evidence and through cooperating witnesses who were accused persons and now state witnesses,” said the prosecution.
In August, Ms Omollo tried to stop the case, but High Court Judge John Onyiego dismissed her petition saying that the institution of charges is a prerogative of the DPP “who cannot be directed on who to take to court or which case to prefer.”
The former PS however, accused the DPP of violating her rights by lumping her case with 10 others that have more than 50 suspects. She argued that there was a risk of delay in the event one of the accused persons absconds, falls ill or is absent from court for any reason.
The hearing of the case which began today is scheduled to go on until December 7, 2018.
Do you believe that the real suspects in the NYS scandal will be found and charged?