DPP allowed to review Gachagua’s Sh7.4 billion graft case
The Anti-Corruption court has allowed the Director of Public Prosecutions three weeks to review the Sh7.4 billion graft case against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and nine other individuals.
Magistrate Victor Wakumile granted the DPP’s request to be allowed more time to review the graft case before giving directions on whether he will drop the charges against Gachagua and other accused persons.
The DPP was given until November 21 to appear in court and get instructions on the trial.
Gachagua’s lawyer Gibson Kimani told the court that his client failed to appear in court in person saying he thought the matter would be mentioned virtually.
However, the DPP did not dispute Gachagua’s absence in court saying there was confusion on whether the matter was to be mentioned virtually or in open court.
“In view of the application by the DPP to review the charges, l will not make any further orders in regards to the absence of the accused persons today,” Magistrate Wakumile said.
The DPP informed the court that three of the defendants in the case had written to him asking him to review the evidence and allegations against them.
He mandated that Gachagua and his co-accused show up in person at the hearing on November 21.
The Nyeri senator William Wahome Mwangi, Anne Nduta Ruo, Julianne Jahenda Makaa, Samuel Murimi, Grace Wambui Kariuki, Lawrence Kimaru, Irene Wambui Ndigiriri, David Reuben, and a business called M/s Rapid Medical Supplies are among the the eight people charged.
They were charged with defrauding Rafiki Micro-Finance Bank of Sh7,330,011,265 using three bank accounts knowing the funds were criminal profits.
The fraud was carried out in Nairobi between 2013 and 2020 on various dates.
The court was informed that on December 29, 2014, in Nairobi County, the DP conspired with individuals who were not present in court to fraudulently obtain Sh6 million in public funds for the purchase of dialysis machines for Nyeri Provincial General Hospital.
The DP was accused of money laundering after it was claimed that he received Sh104,821,205 in total from Bungoma county government between January 2018 and June 2019 with the intention of using the funds for illegal purposes.
Additionally, he is charged with receiving Sh7,583,505 from Kwale county government with the intention of using the money illegally.
In addition, Gachagua is accused of having a conflict of interest while serving as the Member of Parliament for Mathira Constituency between October 2018 and January 2019, as he received a private benefit from a contract awarded for the building of the Njathaini Primary School, which was paid for by the Mathira Constituency Development Fund.
According to the charge sheet, the contract was given to a business owned by one of Gachagua’s close friends.
