59 witnesses lined up to testify against Obado’s graft case

Director of Public Prosecutions has lined up 59 witnesses to testify against Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his four children in the Sh256 million graft case.

Obado has been charged alongside his four children and county staff with stealing Sh73.4 million.

Assistant DPP Peter Kiprop said that those witnesses will prove that Obado and his four children benefited from the county funds.

Anti-graft chief magistrate Lawrence Mugumba yesterday heard that the case is an intricate web of money laundering against the governor through the use of proxies.

“The prosecution shall demonstrate to the court that a total sum of Sh256,703,688 was received from the county government of Migori by entities associated with Jared Oluoch Kwaga,” Kiprop said.

According to Kiprop, these entities are registered in the names of individuals who are family members of Kwaga by virtue of being a wife, brother and mother to him.

Kiprop said he will prove all the entities were registered shortly after Obado was elected governor and that Kwaga’s brother was an employee of the county government of Migori as a pharmaceutical technologist.

Additionally, the prosecution further said it shall also prove that Sh38.9 million was received by Obado’s children as college and upkeep cash while studying in Australia, Scotland and the United Kingdom respectively and the purchase of two Toyota Land Cruisers.

“We will also prove that Sh34.5 million was indirectly acquired by Obado through the purchase of a house by Kwaga on behalf of the governor’s daughter,” he said.

Mugambi directed that in future hearings, all accused persons must appear in court.

The hearing resumes Thursday morning.

Obado has been charged alongside his four children, Dan Achola, Scarlet Susan, Jeremy Zachary and Evelyne Odhiambo with conspiracy to defraud millions of shillings from the county government.

Also charged are businessman Kwaga, his wife Christine Akinyi Ochola, mother Peninah Auma, brothers Joram Opala Otieno and Patroba Ochanda Otieno and sister-in-law Carolyne Anyango Ochola.