BY SAM ALFAN.
The anti-graft axe has fallen again, now with former IEBC chief executive officer James Oswago being tasked to admit or deny whether he was involved in any malpractice in 2013 General Election.
Oswago denied the charge and was released on a Sh600,000 cash bail.
It is alleged that during his tenure at the helm of the electoral board, Oswago willfully failed to comply with procurement laws.
On the May 7 2010 at the IEBC offices being the accounting officer of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission, he willfully awarded a contract for the supply of 57,000 ballot papers for the South Mugirango by election to Smith and Ouzman Ltd, a company convicted in the United Kingdom.
It is also alleged that Oswago received Sh2 million from Hamida Ali Kibwana as an inducement to have the IEBC to award a contract for the printing of OMR corrections forms to Smith and Ouzman Limited.
His plea to have the court release him on personal bond was rejected by the prosecutors who avowed that he was facing a serious offence and should only be released on bail.
Oswago response was that the prosecutor was unfair to him since he faces similar counts.
He was charged alongside Trevy James Oyombra a local agent for the Smith and Ouzman Limited. He was released on a cash bail of Sh1 million shillings.
Also charged was Hamida Ali Kibwana who was released on a cash bail of 600,000 shillings.
The three appeared before principal magistrate Lawrence Mogambi. The case will be mentioned in a month’s time.
