Lamu West MP Ndegwa in court over CDF theft

MOMBASA: An anti-corruption officer has produced in court a letter head with Lamu West MP Julius Ndegwa appreciating receipt of money from the constituency kitty.

The Ethics and Anti–Corruption Commission investigator Philip Kagucia said the letter was allegedly written to the CDF chairman appreciating that Sh1.6 million had been received from the fund.

Mr Kagucia said the author of the letter had not been established adding that it was retrieved from Lamu West CDF staff when the graft body stormed the office three years ago investigating the MP and CDF officials over corruption.

Mr Ndegwa and six members of the Lamu West CDF committee are charged with stealing Sh1.6 million from the fund.

"During my investigation, I found a photocopy of this letter with the letter head of Ndegwa appreciating having received the money from the fund" said Kagucia.

Kagucia was giving evidence before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Julius Nang'ea in a case where the MP and six CDF officials have been charged with illegally transferring Sh1.6 million meant for Witu livestock dip construction to the Lamu CDF.

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The seven are out on a cash bail of Sh1 million each. The MP faces another charge of abuse of office.

The Prosecution led by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Alex Muteti accuses the MP of misusing his office pocketing Sh1 million meant for the administration of Lamu West CDF office.

The charge against Ndegwa reads "being the MP of Lamu West Constituency, he used his office to improperly confer a benefit of Sh1,005,000 to himself, (funds) meant for the administration of the Lamu West CDF office."

The other accused are Michael Thegeru, Yusuf Hassan Hassan, Sophia Wanjiru, Zakayo Gotonga, Alfred Mnjaema and Cornell Tuva.

During the hearing, an attempt by the Prosecutor to have a hand written letter with the letter head of Ndegwa admitted as evidence was rejected by the magistrate who asked him to give it another approach than what he had done.

Mr Muteti had applied to have the letter admitted as evidence on grounds that it must have been written by one of the suspects.

Muteti made this application after he applied for another order in which he wanted the other suspects have their hand written and signature samples taken.