Former Cotu official charged with fraud

By Lucianne Limo

Kenya: Former Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Treasurer Cornel Nyangun was charged with stealing more than Sh116 million from his employer.

The accused who went into hiding after getting wind he was wanted by police, yesterday appeared before Principal Magistrate Patrick Ndegwa and denied the charges.

He will remain in custody for three days after the prosecutor asked the court for more time saying investigations were still ongoing.

Nyangun was charged together with others not before court that on diverse dates between November 21, last year and March 28, this year, he stole Sh115,599,204 the property of Barclays Bank of Kenya.

He also faced a second count that on March 27 this year, at Kenya Commercial Bank with intent to defraud, he forged a document transferring Sh850,000 purporting it to have been authorised by bona fide Cotu account signatories.

Nyangun is also accused of uttering false document with intent to defraud knowingly and fraudulently transferred Sh850,000 to Dorothy Mwinzi’s account, a teller at KCB.

The arrest and prosecution of Nyangun comes hot on the heels of accusations leveled against Cotu’s Secretary General Francis Atwoli of having used donor funds for politics.

The union’s chairman  Rajab Mwondi blew the whistle on them by accusing Nyangun and former Programmes co-ordinator Millicent Ogila of forging Atwoli’s signature to open an account through which they siphoned the unions money.