Businessman: How I was swindled Sh181m by cons at DP’s office
Bernice Mbugua @BerniceMuhindi
Businessman Stephen Ngei Musyoka who lost Sh181 million in a fake laptop tender at Deputy President William Ruto’s office yesterday narrated to court how he was duped into believing the tender was genuine.
Musyoka who is the Director of Makindu Motors told Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku that he received an email from the office of the DP alongside his co-director Charles Kamolo Musila confirming that they had won the tender.
The two representatives of Makindu Motors were invited into the office of DP for a meeting to finalise the deal where they were ushered in by a Mr Osore and they met flamboyant businessman Allan Chesang.
The two signed a non-disclosure agreement, which had the official logo of the office of the DP.
The tender was to supply 2,800 pieces of laptop. In the case seven people have been charged with the fake laptop tender.
They include Chesang, Teddy Awiti, Kevin Mutundura Nyongesa, Augustine Wambua Matata, Joy Wangari Kamau, James William Makokha alias Mr Wanyonyi and Johan Ochieng Osore.
Musyoka told the court that they later had a meeting in Karen with two of the accused persons; Augustine Matata, and Joy Wangare who introduced herself as Miss Muhoro and a procurement officer at the office of Deputy President.
“Miss Muhoro introduced herself as the procurement officer and talked boasted how she could secure the tender.
Matata confirmed Joy is a Procurement officer in the office of Deputy President,” he told the court.
Subsequent meetings would see Musyoka deliver 2,800 laptops to the accused persons and each time LPOs were bearing the logo of the DP’s office.
“We had written to the office of DP to substitute the 7th generation laptops to 8th generation because the factory did not have the said laptops.
We got a reply from the Deputy President’s official email–www.deputypresident.go.ke,” he told the court.
“The office of the DP was pushing us to follow the delivery schedule, I was busy sourcing for more funds to buy the laptops…the third payment we made was of sh27.4 million,” he told the court.
He got alarmed after he received information that the pieces of laptops he had supplied were being sold in Computers and Accessories outlets in Nairobi Central Business District.
Through proxy he bought ten pieces of the said laptops and confirmed his worst fears.
He reported the matter to the Office of the DP where he was given police officers who raided the office of Allan Chesang who had introduced himself as Kiptoo and recovered some of the laptops.
“Before the gate was opened, I saw someone escape through the fence. Later, I was informed by the immediate neighbour that it was Chesang who escaped,” he told the court.
Musyoka told the court after learning that he was conned he was hospitalised for two weeks.
