Goldenberg suspects face fresh charges

By Evelyn Kwamboka

Suspects in the Goldenberg scandal have pleaded afresh in a Sh5.8 billion case.

On Wednesday, former Finance PS Wilfred Karuga Koinange, former CBK Deputy Governor Eliphaz Riungu and former KCB General Manager Elijah arap Bii pleaded not guilty to abuse of office and breach of trust.

This was the third time the Attorney General’s office was changing the charge sheet since 2003.

Koinange, whose lawyer was not in court, was the first to plead not guilty to three charges of abuse of office.

He was charged that on May 13, 1993 at the Treasury in Nairobi, he directed CBK to debit the Paymaster General’s account with Sh1.8 billion and to credit the said amount into the KCB account at CBK, in contravention of Government Financial Regulations and procedures.

The second count stated that on June 28, 1993 at the said office, he abused his authority by directing CBK to debit Paymaster General’s account with Sh2.8 million and to credit the same into KCB’s account at CBK.

Not guilty

He pleaded not guilty to the charge that between April 19 and 12 July, 1993 at Treasury, he committed a breach of trust affecting the public by causing Sh5.8 billion to be paid to Goldenberg International Limited without any lawful authority or justification and in contravention of the law.

The prosecution has lined up 30 witnesses. Koinange told Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei to give him time to consult his advocate.

"I am taking a big risk to proceed without a lawyer. I need time, so that in the event that my advocate declines to represent me, I can be able to get another one," he said.

Riungu, through his advocate Stephen Mwenesi, said when the charge sheet was amended on August 22, 2007 it did not include the name Goldenberg International Limited.

The chief magistrate adjourned the case to next month on May 6.