Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons Benjamin Obuya and four other government officials have been charged with allegedly obtaining Sh302 million fraudulently.
In a statement by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Monday, July 22, the five appeared before Principal Magistrate Celesa Asis Okore and were charged with conspiracy to commit economic crimes.
"Obuya, alongside fellow employees of the State Department for Correctional Services Joseph Kamau (Principal Accountant), James Nyang’au Gekobe (Accountant II), Joseph Ochoki Omaiyo (Warder), and businessman Steven Kisonzo Mulwa, are accused of conspiring to commit economic crimes.
"The charges specify that between July 1, 2014, and March 29, 2018, they fraudulently acquired public property totaling Ksh301,908,000, supposedly for goods never received by the State Department for Correctional Services," the ODPP stated.
The Deputy Commissioner General of Prisons and his colleagues were also accused of abuse of office and fraudulent acquisition of public property.
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"In addition to conspiracy charges, they are also accused of Abuse of Office under Section 46 and Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act No. 3 of 2003, Fraudulent Acquisition of Public Property under Section 45(1)(a) and Section 48 of the same Act, and Money Laundering under Section 3(a)(i) and Section 16 of the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act," the ODPP remarked.
The five denied all the charges against them and were released on a Sh7 million bond each with a surety of the same amount or an alternative cash bail of Sh4 million.
The court further ordered them to surrender their passports.
At the same time, the prosecution asked the court to re-summon two other suspects after they failed to appear in court for a second time, which the court agreed to do.
The matter will be mentioned on August 2, 2024.
