On Monday the Kenyan courts saw one of the highest number of public officials arraigned over corruption scandals that is resembling the NYS saga in web of crimes extorting the poor taxpayer’s cash.This one however was seen as abomination as it touches on the public’s health.
Eighteen suspects among them former National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) CEOs Geoffrey Mwangi and Simon Kirgotty were Monday charged over alleged loss of Ksh.1.5 billion at the health insurer.
Appearing before anti-corruption court Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, the accused were charged with 17 counts among them abuse of office, willful failure to comply with the law relating to management of public funds among others.
The prosecution argued that the accused should be allowed to access their offices and that they should not be granted cash bail; pleas which were rejected by the defense lawyer.
All NHIF officials charged in the case were barred from accessing their office, but JamboPay was allowed since the revenue collection system it manages would collapse if they are shut out at NHIF.
Some of the suspects were released on a cash bail of Ksh.1 million and others Ksh.300,000.
Mr. Kirgoty and Mr. Mwangi were charged with seven and six counts respectively, all of which they denied and were released on a cash bail of Ksh.2 million each.
Lead defense lawyer Prof Tom Ojienda appealed to the court to grant Mwangi and Kirgotty Sh1m bond or Sh500,000 cash bail.
The court also directed the suspects to surrender their travel documents and also barred them from contacting witnesses except under permission from the investigating officers.
Also charged was Web Tribe Limited, which trades as JamboPay, and its directors Danson Muchemi and Robert Muriithi. The company was allegedly contracted to offer revenue collection services to NHIF without proper planning leading to loss of millions of public funds.
Members of the NHIF audit committee Mudzo Nzili, Yussuf Ibrahim and Elly Nyaim were also charged with breach of trust for approving extension of the contract awarded to Web Tribe Limited.
The Asset Recovery Authority is reportedly seeking freeze the assets linked to the suspects as it fast tracks efforts to recover the Sh3billion lost in NHIF and Kenya Pipeline Company scandals.
On November 23, 2018, Mwangi and the head of Finance Wilbert Kurgat were arrested and questioned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Charges of obstruction of justice on the investigation into loss of funds were preferred against them.
The prosecution accused Mwangi of instructing Kurgat not to co-operate with EACC during the investigation.