Five IEBC officers charged with corruption

By KURIAN MUSA

NAIROBI, KENYA: Five officials of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) have been charged in court with corruption under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.

Adan Katelo, Kennedy Guanye, Abdi Elema, Willy Gachanja and Gabriel Ngonyo took to the dock at the Chief Magistrates Court in Nairobi to answer three counts of offenses.

Before Milimani Chief Magistrate Peter Ndwiga, the four were arraigned alongside two directors of Solarmak Technologies Limited, Benson Gethi Wangui, Grace Makena. The company supplied solar lanterns for use in the March 4 elections.

They were charged that on diverse dates between October 22 and 23 at the IEBC offices in Anniversary Towers, Nairobi, they conspired to commit  fraud by altering the substance of the tender submitted by Solarmak Technologies in respect to a tender for the supply of solar lanterns to the electoral body.

TENDER AWARD

As a result of the alleged fraud, the company which was unqualified was awarded the tender.

They were charged with colluding to change a tender document contrary to the public procurement law and disposal.

The officers were charged that on diverse dates at the IEBC offices, they colluded with one another to change the price schedule submitted by Solarmak Technologies to facilitate the supply of the solar lanterns.

Also, two election officials were charged with careless failure to comply with the law relating to procurement contrary to Section 45(2) (b) as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.

Being officers employed by the IEBC as procurement officers and procurement manager respectively in the procurement unit, Ngonyo and Gachanja are accused of failing to comply with the law relating to public procurement and disposal.

procurement documents

They are accused of failing to safeguard procurement documents in respect to the tender number IEBC 1/2012-2013 for the supply of the lanterns that resulted into changes being made to tender documents submitted to Solarmak Limited Technologies.

The officials, Wangui, Makena and their company Solarmak Technologies were charged of forgery contrary to laws of Kenya.

The officers, allegedly with intent to defraud, also forged a tax compliance certificate issued by the assistant Commissioner, Domestic Taxes Department, on October 16, 2012 at Kenya Revenue Authority offices in Nairobi.

Forgeing a document is a criminal offence under section 353 of the Penal Code.

The two were charged that on October 15, at IEBC offices, they uttered a false document to the Chief Executive Officer, IEBC.

The case will be mentioned on November 21.