EACC recovers Ksh.47 million stolen from Homa Bay County Assembly

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has recovered Ksh.47 million stolen from the County Assembly of Homa Bay between 2015 and 2017.

The anti-graft body has it that the sum was stolen through a fraudulent scheme hatched by the assembly’s former clerk Bob Kephat Otieno, his wife and a local bank manager.

In her judgment, High Court Judge Esther Maina stated that she was satisfied with evidence filed by EACC ordering that the five suspects before her pay the amount together with interest.

In the scheme to defraud the Homa Bay County Assembly, former County Assembly Clerk Bob Kephas Otieno, his wife Everlyne Owino Ogutu and Homa Bay Equity Bank Manager David Obonyo have been termed as the main characters, who received the money without any service rendered to the county assembly.

Otieno is said to have received Ksh.24 million, his wife Ksh.1.7 million, Caroline Chepkemoi Sang who was at the time, a principal finance officer at the county assembly was paid Ksh.3.95 million while then County Senior Accounts Controller Maurice Odiwor Amek is suspected to have received Ksh.5million.

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Others are Dalima Enterprises which was then run by the Equity Bank Manager David Obonyo who was the sole signatory and Co-Director Lilian Achieng who pocketed Ksh.12 million.

In her judgment rendered last Thursday, Justice Maina found the evidence filed by EACC compelling and ordered the accused persons to pay back the sum of Ksh.47 million with interest at the court rate of 12% from 2015.

Maina’s decision on the payback is yet to be challenged by a higher court.