A Nairobi court TOday heard how former Nairobi County Government chief Finance officer Jimmy Kiamba and County Secretary Lilian Ndegwa siphoned over Sh 20 million from their employer within a period of one year.
EACC forensic and asset investigator Tabu Luanga told Milimani chief Magistrate Kennedy Bidali of Anti- Corruption court that their investigations reveal that over Sh 20 million was fraudulently obtained by the accused persons from the Nairobi County accounts held at Co-operative bank between January 1 to December 31, 2014.
He produced cheques and counterfeit cheques, payments vouchers and imprest warrants, as exhibits in court which he said none of them went to the dispatcher department for authorization as required.
The investigator further revealed that cheques were approved by Kiamba and Ndegwa and payments made before the respective prerequisite vouchers were raised which to him was ‘ “irregular and fraudulent.”
He said a documents examiner found that the signatures in the several fraudulent cheques bore Kiamba’s and Ndegwa’s signatures.
Luanga informed the court that officers from his office recovered several payments vouchers from Kiamba’s home premises and his offices amounting to over Sh 2.8 million.
The court heard that during the investigations, the investigator further recovered documents and established that there was a parallel payment system that was being used at the city county government of Nairobi Chief Finance Office when documents purported to be for procurement of stationery,accessories and toners for the department of finance and
Economics, adding that the money was paid to Kiamba’s secretary contrary to the procurement laws.
The witness said the money was purported to be in payment for stationery,and computer accessories for Kiamba’s office.
In the case former County secretary Lilian Ndegwa and chief finance officer Jimmy Kiamba are among the officials charged with defrauding City Hall of millions of shillings.
Other officials charged are Regina Rotich, Stephen Osiro and Nancy Kiruri.
Luanga while being led in his evidence in chief by Senior state counsel Edwin Okello he also produced a list from Co- Operative bank showing how over Sh 20 million was paid to two payee namely first accused Regina Rotich who was Secretary to Kiamba and Ephantus Mwangi an employee of the county.
