Man and wife charged over Sh180m fraud in Homabay

From left Mary Wanyundi Wesonga of Matora Construction Company, her husband Chris Vincent Agongi and Kepher Jabuya Rombe  when they appeared before Kisii Senior Principal Magistrate

Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested three Homabay County Government Officials in the alleged loss of more than Sh180 million.

Former Roads Chief Officer Chris Vincent Agong, his wife Mary Wesonga who is also the Supply Chain Management Officer 1 at the county and an Administrative Officer Kepha Rombe were on Tuesday arraigned  before a Kisii court to face corruption charges.

The three however pleaded not guilty to the various corruption charges before Chief Magistrate Nathan Shiundu. 

The three spent their Monday night at the Kisii Police Station after detectives attached to the EACC offices in Kisii arrested them.

The  Magistrate released the three on Sh 5 million bond each with similar surety and ordered them to surrender their passports to the Court.

The first defendant; Rombe is accused of having a direct interest emanating from the County Government of Homabay in the payment of Sh37, 885,000 paid to Rumbek Underpass Investments, a business in which the accused is the sole proprietor.

Rombe’s offence of fraudulent acquisition of public property contrary to section 45 (1) (a) as read with section 48(1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003 took place between March 1, 2015, and February 2, 2018.

On his side, the former Chief Officer; Agong, faces charges of conflict of interest contrary to section 42 (3) as read with section 48 (1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003.

He is charged that between July 2016 and July 2018 knowingly held a direct private interest in an investment emanating from the County Government in the payment of Sh 100, 784, 296 paid to Matora Construction Company Limited through account number 011485891108200 at the Cooperative Bank of Kenya.

His wife; Mary who is the Director in the same company faces a similar offence.

Agong faces another charge of abuse of office contrary to section 46 as read with section 48(1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003 in which he improperly conferred a benefit of Sh 35, 045,043 to his Matora Construction Company Limited,  a company in which he had an interest as a signatory to its bank account.

Mary, Agong and Matora Construction Company Limited, is also charged together in another count in the payment of Sh 100, 784, 296.

The Supply and Chain Management Officer faces another charge alongside the Matora Construction Company in which she is accused of carrying out the business of a contractor without being registered as a contractor.

The offence alleged to have taken place between July 2016 and July 2018 is contrary to section 15(1) as read with section 15(3) of the National Construction Authority Act, 2011.

Chief Magistrate; Shiundu issued a warrant of arrest for three other suspects on the run. They include Leakey Onyango Okeyo, an accountant in the Department of Education, Chief Protocol Officer in the Governor’s Office; John Oloo and Daniel Odhiambo Owour the County Head of Accounts in the County.