BY NT CORRESPONDENT.
Director of Public Prosecution has lined up 25 witnesses to testify in a corruption case against 14 directors from various limited companies over the loss of millions of shilling Kenya Power and Lighting Company.
The state confirmed before Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi, that all prosecution witness statements and exhibits have been supplied to the defence.
The court heard the during trial the prosecution will call expert witnesses, an officer from Registrar of companies, National Construction Authority Officer, Independent Procurement officer, documents examiner, bank officer and cyber crime officer from DCI. Court was further told prosecution will also rely on around 50 documentary exhibits and electronic evidence.
The hearing will take 225 hours that is one month seven days with the prosecution taking three hours for each witnesses in giving evidence inchief, while the defence will tak similar hours the pre-trial conference confirmed.
14 directors were charged before anti- corruption court, Nairobi for fraudulently obtaining over Sh 15 million from Kenya Power and lighting Company by irregularly being prequalified for Labour and Transport tenders.
The accused are said to have obtained the money between the year 2016/17.
The prosecution has submitted before told trial magistrate Lawrence Mugambi, that the accused were irregularly awarded contracts and money belonging to the public paid to their respective companies.
The accused Catherine Wamalwa, Christine Nyawara, Catherine Wanjiko, Edwin Macharia and their other co-accused denied the criminal charge and the court directed to deliver ruling over bail terms.
The criminal charge against limited companies directors comes barely a week after KPL top managers including the Chief Executive officer Ken Tarus and his predecessor Ben Chumo were arraigned in court charged with the offence of procuring substandard transformers worth over sh 409 million.
The other managers who were alongside the CEO included Commercial Services Manager KP Mungai, Finance Manager Joshua Mutua, ICT Manager Abubakar Swaleh, Regional Coordination Manager Samuel Ndirangu and Supply Chain Manager Stanley Mutwiri.
Also charged were a couple James Njenga Muingai and Grace Wanjira Muingai, and their son John Muingai who are directors of Muwa Trading Company Ltd, said to have received millions of shillings for supplying sub-standard transformers.
