BY SAM ALFAN.
Former National Health Insurance Fund boss Richard Kerich and his co-accused will know their fate on July 3 on whether they will be put on their defense over allegations of conspiring to defraud the fund of sh 96 million meant for civil servants and disciplined forces.
This is after Prosecution through senior assistant prosecutor Daniel Karuri closed its case against the former officials.
The prosecution said they have established a prima facie case against them.
Kerich was charged alongside former NHIF assistant manager David Chingi ,Marwa Fadili Chacha, Toddy Mahadana , Anthony Kalathir Chako and Clinix Healthcare Limited.
According to the prosecution NHIF did not use any procurement process in the identification of providers for the civil servants medical scheme.
The prosecution called a total of 28 witnesses who testified against the 6 accused persons.
The six were charged with conspiracy to defraud the NHIF over 96 million shillings by causing NHIF to enter in to a contract with Clinix Health Care for provision for civil servants and disciplined forces outside Nairobi County knowing that the said Clinix Health Care Limited had no capacity to provide such services.
The prosecution claims that there was no public procurement of Clinix Health CARE Limited to provide services for civil servanst as required by the Public Procurement and Disposal Act 2005.
“There was no competitive bidding process and Clinix was a as a result given undue advantage over other qualifies medical providers, “submitted Karuri.
Further Mr Karuri said that Clinix did not have accredited facilities outside Nairobi.
“The prosecution submits that it has established a prima facie case against the accused persons on all counts and prays that this honorable court places all the accused persons on their defense,”submits prosecution.
NHIF Procurement Manager Pamela Nyaboke Marendi told the court that NHIF did not use any procurement process in the identification of providers for the civil servants medical scheme.
