The Milimani Anti-Corruption Court has acquitted former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko of a money laundering charge while ordering him to defend himself in an ongoing graft case.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, April 30, Magistrate Isabella Barasa found that there was sufficient evidence to proceed with part of the case, even as it dismissed the money laundering charge due to lack of proof.
"The Milimani Anti-Corruption Court has placed former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and his co-accused, Frederick Odhiambo Oyugi (trading as Yiro Enterprises), ROG Security Limited, and its director, Antony Otieno Ombok, on their defence in a corruption case involving the irregular award of a 2018 county tender," the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said in a statement.
Barasa stated that the prosecution had established a case to answer on four counts, including conspiracy to commit an economic crime, conflict of interest, and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
The case centres on a 2018 Nairobi City County contract awarded to Yiro Enterprises for the hire of heavy equipment, where investigators linked Sonko to an indirect financial interest.
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"Sonko is alleged to have received Ksh8.4 million through multiple accounts at Equity Bank from businessman Odhiambo, through ROG Security Limited," EACC added.
The prosecution further told the court that the alleged scheme involved coordination between the accused persons over a short period in December 2018.
"The court heard that Sonko, alongside his associate Odhiambo and communications adviser Ombok, conspired between December 27 and 28, 2018, to commit a corruption offence involving suspected proceeds of crime amounting to Ksh14.1 million. The prosecution called 10 witnesses to support its case," EACC further said.
Barasa ruled that the evidence presented met the legal threshold required to put the accused on their defence, paving the way for the next phase of the trial.
The matter will be mentioned on June 4 for directions ahead of the defence hearing.
Elsewhere, this comes a day after the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed that officers from EACC visited its offices as part of investigations into the alleged Ksh42 million African Nations Championship (CHAN) insurance scandal.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 28, FKF confirmed the visit by anti-graft officers and said it had engaged with them during the operation.
"Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirms that officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) today visited the federation's offices as part of ongoing inquiries into the alleged CHAN insurance matter.
"FKF duly engaged with the officers and reiterated its commitment to fully support the process. The federation remains firmly committed to transparency, accountability, and cooperation with all relevant investigative and oversight bodies," the statement read.
FKF President Hussein Mohammed said the federation welcomed the investigations and would continue to cooperate with authorities.
"We welcome the involvement of the EACC and reaffirm our full cooperation with the process. As a federation, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency," he said.
Mohammed added that the federation believed the inquiry would establish the truth and strengthen accountability in Kenyan football.
"We are confident that the facts will come to light through a fair and thorough process, and we will continue to support all efforts aimed at safeguarding accountability within Kenyan football," he added.
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