Reinstated Kisumu Speaker Ann Adul dragged back to court on corruption charges

Reinstated Kisumu County Assembly Speaker Ann Adul during the hearing of her case at the Court of Appeal in Kisumu on May 13, 2015. She has been dragged back to court to face corruption charges. FILE PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • She allegedly single sourced a company that arranged trips by MCAs to China, Singapore and Israel in 2014.
  • Ms Adul, her husband Elijah, Mr Odera, and Ms Omondi are accused of conspiring to defraud public funds by single sourcing Factor Connect.
  • The seven denied the charges and are out on Sh1 million cash bail each.

Embattled Kisumu County Assembly Speaker Ann Adul was Wednesday dragged to court to face corruption charges, a day after she returned to work.

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday ruled that the assembly’s decision to impeach Ms Adul in October 2014 was illegal and unprocedural and reinstated her.

But she had barely settled in when she was in the dock again for allegedly single sourcing a company that arranged trips by MCAs to China, Singapore and Israel in 2014.

In May, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission accused Ms Adul, former majority leader Samwel Ong’ow, former minority leader Eddy Anayo and former clerk Nelco Sagwe of violating procurement laws in sourcing for the trips while sitting as members of the Assembly Service Board.

Mr Samwel Odera and Ms Millicent Omondi, the directors of Factor Connect, the company that arranged the trips, were accused of conspiring to forcefully acquire public property valued at Sh15.4 million bought during the trips.

Ms Adul, her husband Elijah, Mr Odera, and Ms Omondi are accused of conspiring to defraud public funds by single sourcing Factor Connect.

DENIED CHARGES

The seven denied the charges and are out on Sh1 million cash bail each.

Wednesday, Assembly Budget Officer Kephas Oloka, his procurement counterpart Wycliffe Otieno and accountant Samwel Adhiambo told the Anti-Corruption Court that the assembly had Sh58 million at its disposal for the trips.

“Five companies bid for the tender but only Factor Connect submitted a proposal and was pre-qualified by the tender committee,” Mr Otieno told Principal Magistrate Thomas Obutu.

Ms Adul’s reinstatement might, however, could be short-lived after the appellate court Wednesday allowed MCAs and the executive to appeal its ruling in the Supreme Court.

The appellate judges, however, refused to suspend its own ruling for seven days to enable the parties to file their case in the Supreme Court.

On Tuesday, Court of Appeal Presiding Judge David Maraga ruled that the assembly had broken the law by impeaching Ms Adul and suspending the county assembly service board.