Judiciary finance boss charged over Sh80 million scam
Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi. The finance director of the Judiciary was Wednesday charged with conspiracy to steal Sh80 million from his employer. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- On Wednesday, the prosecution said his case would be enjoined with the one in which four other suspects have denied a similar charge.
- The four Judiciary staff members who had been charged in the case included Ms Ruth Wanjiku, Mr Joab Ooko, Mr Boru Mole, and Mr Benjamin Mutuku were accused also of conspiring to steal Sh80,013,302 from their employer on September 14.
The finance director of the Judiciary was Wednesday charged with conspiracy to steal Sh80 million from his employer.
The case comes against a backdrop of a scam in the Judiciary where millions of shillings was lost in payment to phantom companies.
Mr Benedict Omolo denied a charge read to him at a criminal court at the Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi, stating he jointly conspired with others “already in court” to steal Sh80,013,302 belonging to the judiciary.
On Wednesday, the prosecution said his case would be enjoined with the one in which four other suspects have denied a similar charge.
JUMPED BAIL
At the same time, a warrant of arrest was issued against the first suspect in the case, Mr Henry Achoka Joseph, who jumped bail and failed to appear in court for a mention Wednesday.
Mr Achoka was charged alongside Mr Fredrick Mweni Tsofa and Mr Duncan Otieno Bokela and were each granted cash bails of Sh4 million pending hearing on March 3.
The charge against Mr Omolo stated that on or about September 14 2013 at an unknown place he jointly conspired with others before court to steal the money.
The cases will be merged on January 14, 2014.
Mr Achoka and Mr Bokela face ten separate counts of forgery, presentation of falsified payment vouchers and theft.
The prosecution said they forged payment vouchers purported to be issued by the judiciary which they presented in banks between September 12 and September 17 in favour of Bonarza Agencies, a phantom company already identified in the scam.
The suspects are said to have siphoned Sh1.2 million at CFC Stanbic Bank through the falsified transactions.
FORGED NOTIFICATION
They are also charged with presenting a forged notification of payment for the phantom company to CFC Bank branch manager Mr Peter Kinyanjui.
Mr Bokela has further been charged with stealing Sh1.2 million at Barclays Bank Development House branch in Nairobi.
The offence was allegedly committed on September 17, the charge sheet stated.
The four Judiciary staff members who had been charged in the case included Ms Ruth Wanjiku, Mr Joab Ooko, Mr Boru Mole, and Mr Benjamin Mutuku were accused also of conspiring to steal Sh80,013,302 from their employer on September 14.
The four denied the offence.
Their lawyer, Mr Cliff Ombeta, had protested saying they being used as scapegoats to protect the real faces behind fraud in the Judiciary.
They were released on cash bails of Sh2 million each.
The arraignment of the suspects in court follows a fallout between the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and Judiciary Chief Registrar Gladys Shollei over allegations of impropriety.
