Ex-IEBC man admits clearing MP facing forgery charges

Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi at the Milimani law courts during the hearing of a case. (Photo: George Njunge/Standard)

A former electoral commission official has admitted that he cleared Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi to contest without knowing he had fake academic papers.

Benard Mulati, who at the time of nominations was a returning officer with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Kapseret constituency, said he was not aware that the certificates were forged.

"He... presented the high school and diploma certificates for nominations. I assumed the certificates were authentic," said Mr Mulati.

He was testifying in a case in which Mr Sudi  is charged with three counts of forgery.

Mulati told Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Felix Kombo that on January 30, 2013, the MP presented his documents at IEBC offices and after going through, cleared him to contest on a Jubilee ticket.

Among the documents he received from the accused were a banker's cheque of Sh20,000 for nomination fees, his national identity card, self declaration form, certificate of good conduct from the Kenya Police, a campaign programme schedule and a certificate of membership from his party.

Sudi is facing prosecution for allegedly forging a diploma in business management certificate allegedly issued by the Kenya Institute of Management as well as a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education qualification reportedly issued by Highway High School.

He faced another charge of giving false information to an IEBC officer. The court heard that he lied to both the electoral commission and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

He allegedly gave false information to EACC official Derrick Kaisha at Heron Portico Hotel in September 2015.

Investigations had further revealed that the MP also made a false declaration under oath through a self-declaration form to IEBC at Barng'etuny Plaza in Eldoret on the same date.

The hearing continues.