Three ex-county officials charged with theft of Sh296m bursary funds

Three former West Pokot county government officials accused of alleged theft of Sh296 million bursary funds have denied 27 counts of corruption-related charges at Eldoret Law Courts.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Dennis Mikoyan, Mary Cheptur Ngoriakes, a former Chief Officer for Education, Mathew Pkanan Arusio, the former County Director of Bursary, and former Assistant County Director of Bursary Francis Pkemoi Tikol denied the charges.

They allegedly committed the offenses between the 2017/2018 and 2021/2022 financial year.

The charges included conspiracy to commit an economic crime, fraudulent acquisition of public property, abuse of office, willful failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds and making of false documents.

Other charges are false accounting by a public officer and issuing a bad cheque.

The court also summoned former chief officer of Education Simon Kachapin Kodomuk to appear on October 1 to take a plea, before ruling on bond application by the accused persons’ lawyer.

“A plea of not guilty has been entered for the three accused persons for all the charges. The court has issued summons to the first accused person Simon Kodomuk who is a former Chief Officer for Education to appear before this court in a week for purposes of plea taking,” Mikoyan said.

The accused person’s advocate Kevine Ondago told the court that Kodomuk was unwell and in hospital at the time of arrest of his co-accused by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers.

He asked the magistrate to grant the accused the benefit of the doubt and allow him time to report to EACC.

Ondago noted that out of the 27 counts, the Ngoriakes is facing five counts, Arusio is charged with 12 counts, while Tikol, the fourth accused person, is charged with five counts.

The lawyer asked the court to consider releasing his clients on reasonable bond and bail terms pending trial arguing that harsh bond terms will deny them liberty.

“I ask this court to be very lenient to the accused persons. They all have a fixed place abroad and do not possess any travel documents. There is no reason to detain them in custody. The second accused is a mother to a child with a special condition that requires her personal attention while the other two co-accused are not employed and are breadwinners to their families,” Ondago said.

The prosecution led by David Fedha and Mark Mugun, did not oppose the bond application.

However, Fedha called for stiffer bond terms in consideration of the counts and amount in question while pointing out that the case is a public interest matter.

“No evidence on the issue of the sickness of the second accused person's child or the health condition of the third accused person has been brought before this court. On the issue of the accused persons being breadwinners, we are all breadwinners. I ask that the accused persons should deposit any travel documents in court if any,” Fedha said.

The prosecution has lined up nine witnesses to testify in the case.

The bond ruling is set for October 1.