Three charged with Sh33m relief food cooking oil fraud
The proprietors of a company that allegedly sources foodstuffs for distribution to the hunger stricken areas have been charged with defrauding two suppliers of cooking oil valued over Sh33 million.
Seth Onyango Orinda and Leon Ondogo Otieno, alongside a transporter Richard Maina Mwaniki appeared before senior principal magistrate Esther Kimilu at the Milimani Law Courts.
But Orinda and Otieno pleaded with Ms Kimilu to allow them settle the matter out of court by refunding Sh4,332,000 obtained from a trader Abdiwahab Aden Arte who supplied them with the cooking oil.
The three were accused of conspiring to defraud Hussein Adow Mohammed and Rajula Adimo from whom they allegedly obtained 6,020 litres of Salit cooking oil on diverse dates between November 15 and December 23, 2022. The accused faced fraud and money laundering charges.
Kimilu was informed by State prosecutor Ms Anne Munyua the value of the cooking oil, meant for some of the starving people in the hunger stricken arid areas in 23 counties was Sh33,110,000.
Although Ms Kimilu freed the accused who were arrested on December 23, 2022 on bond, she was informed by the investigating officer that police are still pursuing other suspects involved in the massive food fraud. “I do not oppose the release of the accused persons on bond. The complainants want to recover over Sh4million from them plus the cooking oil stored in a city godowns,” lawyer Abdullahi Bare for the complainants told Kimilu.
