Nacada Chairman John Mututho. (Photo:File/Standard) |
Nairobi, Kenya: National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drugs Abuse (Nacada) Chairman John Mututho has told a Nairobi court that Sh41.2 million fraud charges facing him are politically motivated.
Mututho said the fraud case in a tender for supply of medical equipment to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) was brought against him for campaigning against the Government during a constitutional referendum in 2005. “I was with William Ruto (Deputy President), Uhuru Kenyatta (President) and Raila Odinga (former Prime Minister) in the same camp opposing the Government in the 2005 referendum,” Mututho said.
The former Naivasha MP was giving his defence after Nairobi Magistrate Elena Ndiritu earlier ruled that the prosecution had established a case against him.
But Mututho said even the court had questioned how a corruption case was proceeding in the criminal court.
Complied with laws
He said that KNH hit headlines about 20-30 years ago for lack of equipment and several challenges. “Several Government interventions were tried until World Bank heard the cry of Kenyans and decided to advance a loan to rehabilitate the hospital,” Mututho said adding that multinationals were also attracted to KNH’s aid among them was USAid, and the body was exempted from tax.
He continued: “All the contracts and jobs advertised under the rehabilitation programme were duty free. And the supply and delivery of 1,600 bedside lockers was advertised. For one to qualify for the contracts, a company had to follow due diligence and comply with several local statutes.”
The prosecution called a total of 15 witnesses and presented 35 documentary exhibits to prove the case that Mututho was allegedly involved in fraudulent activities.
KNH was supposed to make duty and VAT exemptions in the arrangements which did not happen.
Mututho said the Auditor General gave the contract a clean bill of health.