BY SAM ALFAN.
A former finance advisor to Wajir governor has told a Nairobi court that cheques worth Sh26.1 million are not recorded in the check register.
Jeff Mworia Kithinji also told trial court that the county’s cash book and check register are being held by the auditors and it would have been quite fishy for him to recall the books.
“Since I was doing it in good faith, I clearly, mentioned to them that all we needed was the critical documents which was the check book that was not utilised which I would then return to them the copies of the checks and vouchers of the payments that the county was planning to make,” Kithinji testified.
He also added that he did not have clear chronology and he would not have wanted to interfere with it for purposes of accounting.
The court heard that decisions were being made at a policy level where he was not involved. “All appointments are at policy level that lies with the chief officer finance and the CEC finance,” he said in his defence.
The accused who was defending himself after court ruled that he and former finance CEC Daud Abdullahi Omar, County secretary Ahmed Sahal Omar had a case to answer over loss of funds at Wajir County.
Kithinji told the court that there was backlog of cash flow in lump sum payments, because requires individual posting of entries. “This is matching the check numbers with beneficiary vouchers assigned to it at the point of payment,” he said.
On February 14, while testifying in the corruption case, Wajir governor Mohammed Mohamud told the court he was not aware who issued instructions for the withdrawal of Sh28.1 million from the county’s coffers. He said also said he does not know who received the money or where it went.
“I did not receive the money or a portion it. I did not issue instructions for the withdrawal to secretary CEC finance for the overdraft,” he said.
According to the Governor, after hearing of the allegations he contacted CEC finance who informed him that the funds were used pay casuals and operations. He added that he was informed via phone and did not receive any written communication.
County auditors however said they were not aware of the same after counter-checking with them.
The court acquitted a KCB branch manager- Sayid Ibrahim- linked to the embezzlement of Sh26 million in Wajir county.
The former county officials are accused of conspiring to embezzle of public fund’s belonging to county government of Wajir amounting to Sh26.1 million.
Kithinji, who was the acting treasury and economic advisor, is accused of using his office to confer a benefit of Sh26.1 million, when he irregularly withdrew from Wajir County Government standing imprest account.
Mworia is also facing abuse of office, fraudulent acquisition charges.
Abdullahi is accused that between 5 of October and 9 of October this year being Wajir County Government Finance and economic planning county executive committee member used his office to confer benefit of Sh 26.1 million to Jeff Mworia Kithinji by unlawfully authorising him as sole signatory of the county government.
Abdullahi is further accused of failing to comply with applicable law and procedures relating to management of public funds by designating one authorised signatory in respect of Wajir County Government imprest account instead of the mandatory two signatories as required.
