Six former Government workers charged over Sh2.5m fraud

FROM LEFT: Dorothy Katunge Kisavi, Perminus Njoroge Kamau, Catherine Wanjiru Ngugi and Kepha Oseko at the Milimani Law Courts. The Ministry of Education Officials were accused of fraudulently acquiring public property within the ministry. [PHOTO: FIDELIS KABUNYI]

NAIROBI: Six former staff of the Education Ministry have been charged with fraudulently obtaining Sh2.5 million in imprest.

Perminus Kamau, Thomas Kubende, Zuwena Zainabu, Dorothy Katunge, Kepha Osieko and Catherine Wanjiru appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Doreen Mulekyo.

Kamau was accused that on February 11, 2008 at the Ministry’s offices in Nairobi County, being the account assistant serving as the head cashier at the Ministry, he fraudulently acquired the imprest, which is public property.

ALLEGED CON-ARTIST

He was further charged that on June 26, 2008 at the said offices, he fraudulently acquired Sh2.5 million withdrawn as imprest from the Central Bank of Kenya for recurrent expenditure at the Ministry and entrusted to him.

All the accused faced several counts of stealing and fraudulent acquisition of public property. They denied the charges and were released on Sh150,000 cash bail or Sh300,000 bond each. The case will be heard on May 5 and 6 next year.

Meanwhile, fishing twines recovered from an alleged city con-artist will be handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to determine whether they are genuine, a Nairobi court has directed.

Jeremiah Munene, 35, has allegedly been supplying the twines to business people in the city, saying they are genuine and imported from the United Kingdom.

On November 10, Munene was accused of obtaining Sh60,000 from Ruth Njeri by pretending to be in a position to deliver the fishing twines, a fact he knew to be false.

Police said the suspect approached Njeri at a shop on Racecourse Road and convinced her that she would make good money if she joined him in buying and selling fishing twines.

FAIR PRICES

Njeri said the suspected told her the Sh60,000 would facilitate delivery of a dozen twines in less than two days.

Upon receiving the cash, the suspect allegedly delivered few rolls of twines suspected to be fake claiming that he had found somebody who would buy them at fair prices.

However, Munene vanished and stopped receiving calls from the businesswoman. He was arrested on November 15 and dozens of fishing twines believed to be fake recovered in his car.

Munene denied the charge and was set free on a Sh100,000 bail till February 20 when trial begins.