Board members deny corruption charges

Nyeri county service board members; (left-right) Shellomith Wanjiku Nderitu, Geoffrey Wachira Mahinda, Beatrice Wanjiru Gikaru, Anthony Ndonga Muriu, and Alice Waruguru Muita when they appeared before Senior Principal magistrate Phillip Mutua at the Nyeri law courts where they denied abuse of office charges, September 26, 2018. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

Former board chairperson Alice Muita and members Anthony Muriu, Beatrice Gikaru, Geoffrey Mahinda and Shelmith Nderitu however denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Philip Mutua and were released on a Sh500,000 bond each.

They were charged alongside county administrators Johnson Njogu and Jackson Thagana, who also denied two counts of forgery and uttering false documents.

In the first count, the board members were accused of using their offices to confer a benefit to George Muriithi for appointment as a sub-county administrator.

The offence was said to have been committed between August 2, 2013 and February 22, 2014.

Second count

They also faced a second count of conspiring to commit corruption, namely abuse of office, by procuring the appointment of George Muriithi as a sub-county administrator, an office he was not qualified to hold.

The charge sheet further read that on the same dates, the five improperly conferred a benefit to Phares Njogu as a ward administrator.

The fourth count stated that between August 2013 and February 25, 2014, they conspired to procure the appointment of Phares Njogu to an office he did not qualify to hold.

It was said that prior to August 19, 2013, Mr Njogu made a false document certificate serial number 85517 purporting it to be issued by Vision College of Business and Accounting with intent to deceive the board that he was a diploma holder.

He faced an alternative charge of uttering the certificate and presenting it to the board as proof of his academic qualification.

Mr Thagana was also charged with making a false document - a diploma certificate serial No 1889 - on December 7, 2013, claiming it to have been issued by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa.

He faced an alternatives charge of uttering a false document as proof to secure a job.