Kenya Power workers freed on bond in Sh400m case

Ruth Oyile, Beatrice Messo and John Mochere in the dock at a Milimani Court yesterday. [George Njunge, Standard]

A court yesterday released three people implicated in a Sh400 million graft case at Kenya Power.

The prosecution had accused suspended company secretary Beatrice Mogeni, former employee John Muchere and Ruth Oyile of having hand in the disappearance of documents required to prosecute a graft case against former boss Ben Chumo and his successor Ken Tarus. The prosecution had asked Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot to detain them for seven days so that it could complete its investigation.

But Mr Cheruiyot declined and instead released them on a Sh1 million personal bond and a Sh300,000 cash bail each. 

The trio was also ordered to co-operate with investigators and appear before Directorate of Criminal Investigations sleuths on Monday and Wednesday next week.

“There is no likelihood for interference with investigations unless the investigations want this court to believe that the accused person have been in office contrary to the court orders,” said Cheruiyot.

“I am inclined to find that the prosecution has not made a case to be granted the seven days it requested.”

Missing documents mystery in graft case against Dr and Mr Tarus continued to deepen as Mogeni and Muchere were also charged in the Sh400 million transformers tender case.

By having them in court, the prosecution claimed that suspects in the graft case accessed its original documents and carted them away.

The two were again in court yesterday where they were to take plea for allegedly conspiring to defeat justice.

The prosecution claimed they irregularly conducted their work leading to the loss of Energy Regulatory Commission and Public Procurement and Review Board (PPARB) original documents in Stima Plaza.

Defence lawyer Migos Ogamba said Mogeni and Muchere had no access to Kenya Power offices.

“The DCI had these documents when they preferred charges against the accused persons. Walter Oginga...swore that he was ready with documents and witnesses when charges were pressed against them,” he said.