More charges for suspects in Kenya's Sh1 billion NGO tender scandal

NAIROBI: Four non-governmental organisation officials alleged to be involved in a multi-million-shilling scam took plea on over 20 more charges in a Nairobi court.

Mercy Kinyanjui, Dominic Okeari Mabeya, Paul Ogola and James Mwangi Ng’ang’a were released on a Sh20 million bond or a cash bail of Sh6 million each.

The court Tuesday heard how the suspects committed the fraud worth over Sh100 million.

The defence team had asked the court to use the previous bond terms where the suspects were released on a Sh31 million bond or a cash bail of Sh3 million, saying the charges were similar.

However, State Counsel Duncan Ondimu objected to the consolidation saying the cases before the court were different. “The particulars of the cases have different complainants although the offences were committed under the same circumstances,” he said.

BOND TERMS

“Your honour we could not have brought the charges together because investigations are still ongoing. We intend to bring more charges on the same,” he said.

According to court documents the suspects allegedly committed the felony between February and December last year in companies along Peponi Road in Nairobi.

They are accused of obtaining goods and failing to pay for them claiming Joytharc International was a registered NGO and was in a position to pay for the goods.

Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo said bond terms for the previous charges could not apply since the cases were different. “I have considered both applications but I cannot allow the request of consolidation since the circumstances under which the files were joined were different and so the terms cannot remain the same,” he said.

The cases will he be heard on October 30.