DPP orders for arraignment of Garissa Governor Korane

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Norrdin Haji yesterday ordered for the arrest and arraignment of Garissa Governor Ali Korane and other county officials over the embezzlement of Sh233.5 million that was issued by the World Bank as a grant.

Those to be charged alongside Haji include Chief Finance officer Ibrahim Malow, Treasury head Mohammed Abdullahi, Municipality CEC Abdi Shale and head of accounting at the municipal Ahmed Aden.

In a statement to newsrooms, Haji wants Korane and the county officials charged with conspiracy to commit an offence of economic crime, willful failure to comply with the law relating to the management of public funds, misappropriation of public funds, abuse of office and engagement in a project without prior planning.

“Having been persuaded by the findings and recommendations of the team, I adopt their findings that there is sufficient evidence to support charges. I therefore direct that the suspects be arraigned in court to face charges,” the statement stated.

According to Haji instead of the money being used for the construction of a market, re carpeting of CBD roads and putting up of pedestrian walkways and setting up of drainages, it was diverted between February and September 2019.

The irregular diversions of the money Haji said was facilitated by Ibrahim, Shale, the county executive officer municipality and the head of accounting at the municipal.

In the statement, Haji explained that his decision is based on investigations conducted by a team of senior and experienced prosecutors who he appointed to handle the matter to avoid any form of bias since the probe involved his county of origin.

The DPP said after investigations, the team established that Korane being the Chief Executive Officer of the county, abdicated his responsibilities as mandated by the law therefore facilitating the misappropriation of the grant funds

Korane said the DPP, signed the intergovernmental participation agreement for the Kenya Urban Support System between the National and county government.

“He also failed to ensure the administration of grant funds in accordance with relevant provision of the law leading to misappropriations of grant funds by county officials,” adds the statement.

The decision by Haji is premised on grounds that the county received the Sh233.5 million from the World bank through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure under the Kenyan Urban Support Programme (KUSP) to support municipalities in all the counties.

The funds were to be used for the construction of Qorahey Market, re-carpeting of Garrisa Township Central Business District (CBD) roads and the construction of storm water drainage and pedestrian walk ways.

His decision comes after last week a series of decision by the DPP to arrest and arraign senior county government officials.

 Last week, he ordered the prosecution of Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki and other county officials over a Sh34.9 million tender awarded irregularly.

Prior to that he had ordered for the arrest and prosecution of Migori Governor Okoth Obado who after being charged in court  was barred from office after being linked to Sh73 million graft in the county.