Former prisons boss denies Ksh301m theft charges, released on bail

Former deputy Commissioner General of the Kenya Prisons Service Benjamin Obuya Njoga was yesterday charged with conspiring with others in connection with the theft of Sh301 million from the government.

Njoga was charged with colluding with others to commit an offence of corruption contrary to section 47 a (3) as read with section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECCA) of 2003.

He is said to have colluded with twelve others to fraudulently acquire the Sh301,908,000 on diverse dates between July 1, 2014 and March 29, 2018.

The suspect was charged alongside Joseph Kamau Mwangi, a principal accountant at the Department of Correctional Services, James Nyang’au, an accountant at the same department, prison officer Joseph Omaiyo and businessman Stephen Mulwa.

Their accomplices were charged on Friday last week.

“Within the republic of Kenya, you jointly and severally conspired to commit an economic crime namely fraudulent acquisition of public property to wit 301,908,000 being payment for goods not supplied to the state department of correctional services,” one of the charges read in part.

Economic crime

 Njoga, Mwangi, Nyangau and Omaiyo were separately charged with abuse of office where they are accused of using their respective offices to cause payment of different amounts of money to different companies belonging to their accomplices for goods that were never supplied.

They are accused of committing the offences between 2014 and 2018.

Mulwa is on the other hand facing charges of fraudulent acquisition of public property contrary to section 45 (1) (a) as read with section 48 of the ACECA.

The suspect is accused of receiving Sh98,222,500 through his three companies. One of the companies, Castro Supplies was paid Sh25,650 between May 30, 2017 and November 21, 2017, for supplying nothing.

One of his other companies, Stemu Supplies received Sh50,875,000 between June 9, 2017 and October 25, 2017, while another company, Mulwa Farm was paid Sh21,697,500 between October 24, 2017 and March 29, 2018, from the Ministry of Interior for goods not supplied.

Mulwa and Mwangi are also charged with money laundering contrary to the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.

Denied charges

Mwangi is accused of aiding Mulwa to purchase motor vehicles at different times using the money knowing the same was the proceeds of crime with the intention to disguise the same.

The suspects denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Celesa Okore of the Milimani Anti-Corruption court.

They were released on a cash bail of Sh4 million each or alternative bond of Sh7 million with an additional surety of a similar amount.