Wajir Governor to testify against 3 county staff, bank manager in Sh 26M graft

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Wajir county officials and KCB Wajir branch manager before a Nairobi court at a past date

Wajir county Governor is expected to appear in court on 10th February to testify against three of his county officials and a bank manager in Sh 26 million graft case.

Governor Mohamed Abdi will testify after investigating officer Steve Wanyama concludes his testimony on the same date.

The four, Daud Abdullahi (economic planning executive), Ahmed Sahal (County secretary), Jeff Mworia Kithinji (acting county public service head) and Said Ibrahim (Kenya Commercial Bank Wajir branch manager) were charged in November 2018 with embezzling Sh 26.1 million through KCB.

Abdullahi and Sahal further face abuse of office charges, Kithinji faces fraudulent acquisition of public property among other charges while Ibrahim is said to have cleared cheques that did not bare the required signatures.

The investigator has told court there was no auditor’s report to show the embezzlement of the money.

During cross-examination by one of the accused person’s lawyer Sam Nyaberi, officer told Chief Magistrate Teresia Murigi that there was no auditor’s report from the Kenya National Audit or any other body contrary to the law which requires an audit every six months.

Wanyama added that there was no transactions in the Mpesa statements of the court accused persons to show any money exchange.

It was his testimony that the transaction was done though cash.

The witness further confirmed that no cheque among the ones presented in court as exhibits is in the name of the second accused (Sahal) neither did they find any suspicious deposits in his bank account.

During further cross-examination by the lawyer for the bank manager, Wanyama told the court he did not investigate a previous sum of Sh 11 million taken by the county government as overdraft.

He said his office did not investigate the same because there was no complainant in the matter.

In addition, the witness testified he did not know that county experience cash flow problems.

The four are out on a cash bail of Sh1 million each.