Court to rule on former Homa Bay officials’ graft case
Five former officials and MCAs of Homa Bay County Assembly will be sentenced today over corruption.
Former County Assembly Clerk Bob Kephas Otieno, Caroline Chepkemoi Sang (principal finance officer), Maurice Amek (former principal accountant, Michael Ooro (former Leader of Majority) and Isaac Nyandege (former Minority Leader) will know their fate when they appear before a Homa Bay court.
This is after they were convicted on Tuesday over the alleged misappropriation of Sh27.8 million.
The five leaders, who are detained at Homa Bay Prison awaiting their sentences, were found guilty of committing various offences related to the public offices they held among them misuse of public funds.
While appearing before Homa Bay Senior Principal Magistrate Thomas Ubutu on Tuesday, the ex-officials were charged with 11 counts including conspiracy to commit corruption, unlawful acquisition of public property, abuse of office, and fraudulent payment from public revenue for services not rendered among other charges.
The court heard that Kephas, Sang and Amek jointly and fraudulently authorised payments of Sh27,872,278 purportedly to facilitate the transport and accommodation of MCAs and the Assembly staff, activities that never took place.
Guilty
Kephas was found guilty of irregularly acquiring more than Sh4.3 million while Sang was found guilty of unlawful acquisition of up to Sh7.2 million.
On the other hand, Amek, Ooro and Nyandege were found guilty of acquiring Sh7.3 million, Sh4.2 million and Sh3.5 million, respectively.
The first three accused persons were also found guilty of abuse of office.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission had arrested the former County Assembly officials and preferred the charges against them in 2018.
