The embattled former Director General of the National Museum of Kenya (NMK) Mzalendo Kibunja and six others facing corruption allegations of embezzling Sh490million have been freed on a bond of Sh10million each or a cash bail of Sh5million.
While appearing before Milimani Chief Magistrate Victor Wakumile, they all denied the charges of conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, abuse of office, financial misconduct, acquisition of proceeds of crime and money laundering charged against them by the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Consequently, the Chief Magistrate freed the seven accused persons on an alternative cash bail of Sh5million each after they denied several charges.
Kibunja was charged alongside Stanvas Ongola (Director Human Resource) Oliver Rabour (Administration Payroll ICT), Wycliffe Ongata (Payroll accountant) and business Oscar Mwaura together with his companies namely Altcoms Enterprises and Florah Technical Services with mismanagement of Ksh490 million at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) between Financial Years 2015-16 and 2021-22.
In the first count, the accused persons were charged that between January 2016 and February 1, 2022, they conspired to commit a corruption offence namely embezzlement of Sh441,392,075 being public funds fraudulently paid as salaries and gratuity to persons purportedly (ghost workers) employed by the National Museums of Kenya.
