6 Kilifi officials charged with Sh14.8m graft in tender award

Lawyer Maurice Kilonzo represents six senior Kilifi County officials and Capital Solutions director Serah Musyimi at a Malindi court on May 24, 2019 in the Sh14.8 million irregular procurement case. PHOTO | CHARLES LWANGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The county officials are Director of Fisheries John Mwangi, Accountant Sophie Mwandawiro, former procurement officer Julius Munga, Head of Supply Chain Management Kiven Kieti, Trade Chief Officer Patience Tsimba and disaster management officer Silas Munga.
  • The company officials are Serah Musyimi and Sanga Barrawah, who are directors of Capital Solutions Limited.
  • The court heard that the eight conspired to commit corruption through a tender award for the supply of the boat to Capital Solutions, which did not qualify.
  • They denied the charges and were released on Sh300,000 cash bail or Sh2 million bond each.

Six Kilifi County officials and two company directors were on Friday charged with corruption and economic offences over the irregular procurement of a Sh14.8 million sea rescue boat.

The county officials are Director of Fisheries John Mwangi, Accountant Sophie Mwandawiro, former Procurement Officer Julius Munga, Head of Supply Chain Management Kiven Kieti, Trade Chief Officer Patience Tsimba and Disaster Management Officer Silas Munga.

The company officials are Serah Musyimi and Sanga Barrawah, who are directors of Capital Solutions Limited.

Mr Kieti and Mr Barrawah were charged in absentia but were summoned to court to plead to the charges.

The court heard that the eight conspired to commit corruption through a tender award for the supply of the boat to Capital Solutions, which did not qualify.

They allegedly committed the offence December 16, 2015 and November 14, 2016.

THE CHARGES

Ms Tsimba, the then acting devolution chief officer, was individually charged with using her office to improperly confer a benefit to the company by approving payment of that amount of money.

Mr Musyimi, Mr Barrawah and Capital Solutions were charged with uttering false financial documents, claiming they were prepared by Monda and Associates, for the supply of the boat.

The two company directors were charged with fraudulent acquisition of the amont from the county.

Mr Mwangi, Ms Mwandawiro and Mr Munga, members of the Tender Evaluation Committee, were charged with willful failure to comply with procurement laws.

They are accused of failing to ensure the tender award was subjected to technical evaluation, thereby causing the evaluation report not to meet criteria stipulated in Section 45 of Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003.

BAIL

The accused denied the charges before Malindi Chief Magistrate Julie Oseko.

Through Lawyers Maurice Kilonzo and James Mouko, they asked the court to release them on reasonable terms.

The magistrate directed that they be released on Sh300,000 cash bail or Sh2 million bond each.

The case will be mentioned in June.