Migori officials in court over cprruption charges

Migori County Assembly. [Photo: Standard]

Eleven county government officers were on Tuesday charged with corruption.

The 11 were accused of flouting procurement rules in awarding tenders.

All the accused denied the charges and were released on a bond of Sh300,000 and a surety of the same amount or a cash bail of Sh100,000 each.

The magistrate ordered the prosecutor to supply the accused persons with relevant case documents and exhibits before the next mention scheduled for September 11.  

And in Homa Bay County, a court has reduced the cash bail for two senior county assembly officials accused of misusing Sh27.8 million.

The two were accused of embezzling the money during 2014-2015 and 2016-2017 financial years.

Homa Bay Senior Principal Magistrate Thomas Obutu had given County Assembly Clerk Bob Kephas and senior accounts controller Maurice Amek a cash bail of Sh2 million and surety of Sh3 million each.

Reduced bail

But he later reduced the bail to Sh1 million each, ruling that the bond was not meant to punish the accused but to secure their attendance in court.

The cash bail amount was reduced after defence lawyers Samuel Nyauke and Moses Owuor pleaded with the court to review it on the grounds that the officials were unable to raise Sh2 million.

Mr Nyauke had requested the court to reduce the cash bail to Sh500,000, saying the bond terms were excessive.

They two were also instructed to provide the court with their travel documents and warned against interfering with witnesses.

“I direct the accused persons to shun any action that can interfere with investigations and witnesses. Their bond will be cancelled if they violate the conditions,” said Mr Obutu.