City firm directors off the hook in Sh1b NHIF scam case

The Director of Public Prosecutions has dropped charges against two bosses of a company in the Sh1.1 billion scandal at the National Hospital Insurance Fund.

Danson Muchemi and Robert Muriithi, the directors of Web Tribe Ltd, will instead act as prosecution witnesses in the graft case against two former NHIF chief executive officers Simeon ole Kirgotty and Geoffrey Mwangi.

The deal was reached after a plea bargain between the parties in which Muchemi and Muriithi committed to fully cooperate with the DPP in the prosecution of the other accused persons.

A letter by Senior Assistant DPP Alexander Muteti stated that the two would make full disclosure of their contract dealings with NHIF and together with their staff appear as prosecution witnesses whenever called upon.

“The company should also commit themselves to implement and complete the contracts they had with NHIF and to negotiate any outstanding payments between NHIF without involving the DPP’s office,” said Mr Muteti.

Muchemi and Muriithi, as a consequence of the deal reached, applied to be discharged from the case and asked for a refund of the Sh2 million they each paid as cash bail.

The two were charged in December 2018, alongside the NHIF officials, with several counts relating to provision of integrated revenue collection system leading to the loss of Sh1.1 billion.