Court grants Ojaamong Sh1m cash bail after two nights in custody

Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong at EACC after he was arrested over corruption on 4/7/2018. [Photo: Beverlyne Musili,Standard]

Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong was spared a long weekend in custody after paying Sh1 million cash bail to secure his release.

The governor had spent two days in police cells at the Integrity Centre in Nairobi and heaved a sigh of relief when anti-corruption court Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti granted him and three senior county executives bail.

Mr Ogoti dismissed the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji’s application to detain the governor and ruled that there were no compelling reasons to warrant their detention.

“Whoever makes allegations in court must prove them, I find that the prosecution has not discharged its mandate to prove the reasons why they wanted the accused denied bail,” he ruled.

The Chief Magistrate noted that the prosecution had not presented the list of witnesses hence allegations that the accused will interfere with them were baseless.

Ojaamong became the first governor to face corruption charges with allegations of conspiracy to defraud the County Government of Sh8 million, engaging in projects without proper planning and abuse of office. He was charged alongside CEC for Finance Bernard Yaite, Chief Finance Officer Leonard Obimbira and head of Treasury Accounting Samuel Ombui.

In the first count, the four were accused of conspiring to defraud the Busia County Government of Sh8 million by entering into an agreement for a feasibility study on solid waste management to be done by Madam R Enterprises Limited when the company’s services had not been properly secured.

The Chief Magistrate ordered the governor and his co-accused present themselves to Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission offices in Busia every last Friday of the month until the case is concluded.

He issued a warrant of arrest against Edna Adhiambo and Renish Achieng, directors of the company that received the money.