A High Court in Nakuru has ordered the arrest of Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim and his former deputy John Barorot.
Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege issued the order on Monday, September 9 after the duo failed to appear in court to testify in the Ksh1.1 billion Finland education scholarship scandal.
The Magistrate also ordered the arrest of Hillary Ruto, Stephen Lel, and Edwin Lel and issued summons to two witnesses; Mercy Tarus and Joel Koech.
The witnesses were to testify against former Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and two others who are accused of misappropriating Ksh1.1 billion meant for education scholarships for over 125 needy children.
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On August 16, 2023, Mandago was arrested and arraigned in court over the alleged scam. He was however released alongside his co-accused Joshua Lelei and Mishack Rono on a Sh500,000 bail or an alternative bond of Sh2 million.
The plea-taking session of the case failed to take off after the Judge said it would not happen when the first accused person Joseph Maritim is on the run.
Maritim, who worked with Governor Mandago was said to have fled the country together with his family before the news of the scandal broke out and was a signatory to the bank account where parents deposited money.
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in December 2023 approved Mandago and his three co-accused to be charged with conspiracy to commit an offense of economic crime, abuse of office, breach of trust, fraudulent acquisition of public property, and uttering a false document contrary to Section 353 of the Penal Code.
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