BY SAM ALFAN.
Four top managers of Information and communication authority have been charged before an anti corruption court with stealing over Sh 96 million and conspiracy to commit corruption offence.
The former former Director of Corporate Services Felix Obonsi Ongaga, former acting finance manager Daniel Stephen Ouma , former accountant Peter Mukangu Mwangi and cashier Anthony Nyaga Mwangi are accused that between 2 of July 2016 and 6 of July 2017 at the Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) jointly stole Kshs. 96,470,017 by fraudulently withdrawing the money from Information and Communication Authority (ICTA) bank accounts , the property of ICTA which came into their possession by virtue of employment.
Prosecution accused the five former Director of Corporate Services Felix Obonsi Ongaga, former acting finance manager Daniel Stephen Ouma , former accountant Peter Mukangu Mwangi and and Bernard Nyariki Kebwage jointly with others not before court conspired to commit an offence of corruption namely to engage in a scheme to defraud ICTA Kshs. 63,211,823.
Felix Obonsi Ongaga is accused that between 8 of December 2016 and 20 of April,2017 being person employed in public service in the information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) as the Director Corporate Services stole Kshs. 5,482,460 the property of ICTA by fraudulently transferring the money ti his personal account, money which came into his possession by virtue of his employment.
Daniel Stephen Ouma is accused of that being a acting Finance Manager and Peter Mukangu Mwangi as the accountant stole Kshs. 6,444,601 the property of ICTA by fraudulently transferring the money to his personal account.
Felix Obonsi Ongaga, Daniel Stephen Ouma and Peter Mukangu Mwangi appeared before Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti and denied charges of stealing by servant, abuse of office and conspiracy to committed an offence.
The magistrate ordered the accused persons to be realised on a bond of 10million or a cash bail of Sh 5 million each.
They’d were further ordered to sign a personal of Sh 2 million and deposit their passports to the court.
He further faces five counts of abuse of office by improperly conferring a benefit of the above monies.
A warrant of arrest was issued against their co accused cashier Bernard Nyariki Kebwage who failed to appear in court to plead to the graft charges.
The magistrate ordered the DPP and the DCI to supply the accused persons with all evidentiary documents on January 24.
In August 1 last year, High Court stopped former top directors of Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) from transferring 6.4 million from their bank accounts.
High Court Anti-Corruption Presiding Justice Hedwig Ong’undi barred former Director of Corporate Services Felix Obonsi Ongaga, former acting finance manager Daniel Stephen Ouma , former accountant Peter Mukangu Mwangi and cashier Anthony Nyaga Mwangi from transferring Kshs. 384,402.10 from his account at Standard Chartered bank Kenyatta Avenue in the name of Felix Obonsi Ongaga, Kshs. 289,544.62 account that belong to Daniel Stephen Ouma at Co-operative Bank upper Hill branch and Kshs. 190.861.22 in his account at Family Bank, two account for Peter Mukangu Mwangi Kshs. 4,828,241,60 held at equity bank and Kshs. 32,392,51 and Kshs. 763,294,49 for Anthony Nyaga Mwangi from Equity mama Ngina branch.
This after The Assets Recovery Agency filed a certificate of urgency seeking to block the four from transferring the amount in question from their accounts pending a joint investigations by the Agency and Director of Criminal Investigation.
According to affidavit by the investigating officer Isaac Nakitare, the investigation were lodged after after ICTA acting Chief Executive Officer Robert Kariuki Mugo suspect the fraud and theft of Kshs. 74,281,498,10 from ICTA bank accounts by the four employees
.
The said fraud from ICTA bank accounts is said to have started in the year 2016 where there was suspicious transactions of total of Kshs. 29,040,011 from ICTA Bank account.
Investigations has established that between 24 January to 6 of July, 2017, Felix Obonsi Ongaga and Daniel Stephen Ouma unlawfully authorized payments of 155.838,193,00 million from ICTA bank at Citi Bank funds which were withdrawn by Peter Mukangu Mwangi and Anthony Nyaga Mwangi and some of the funds were transferred to the respondents bank accounts.
The said investigations traced funds amounting to 6.4 million held in various bank accounts in the names of the four which were stolen from ICTA.
According to court documents seen by NairobiTimez, investigations has revealed a clear case of fraud, theft and money laundering of public funds with intent of concealing and disguising the source of funds.
The acting CEO reported the fraud to Asset Recovery agency who together with dci commenced the investigations.
Investigating officer had obtained court orders from Chief Magistrate Court under miscellaneous Criminal application authorizing to investigate the four bank accounts and freeze any funds in the said accounts.
