DPP seeking maximum sentence for NYS fraud suspects

The hearing of over Ksh.226 million NYS scandal kicked off on Wednesday October 31, with the prosecution saying it has enough evidence to convict the 37 accused persons in the case among them former NYS boss Richard Ndubai and ex-PS Lilian Omollo.

Lead counsel Joseph Riungu said that the prosecution will be seeking to get maximum sentences for all the accused persons.

”The case in court is obscure but ruthless fly-by night briefcase companies business entities which swooped away a massive Ksh.226 million being just a tip of Ksh.8 billion which was siphoned from the NYS coffers for goods not delivered with the assistance of the accused persons, who were public officers in the State Department of Public Service and youth,”said the prosecution.

According to the DPP the Ksh.226,945,258 million is enough to recruit and train over 3,000 youths annually.

In his opening remarks the DPP submitted that they will be seeking to forfeit and confiscate the accused person’s assets at the end of the trial.

They told trial Magistrate Douglas Ogoti they intend to demonstrate that the acts and omissions were not just negligent but well calculated schemes to siphon public funds.

Riungu said that former PS Lilian Omollo as the accounting Officer for the State Department of Public Service and Youth, did not utilise the funds in accordance with the law and was not accountable to the National Assembly and Treasury.

The court further heard Omollo was mandated to sign the contracts and sends a circular to all MDAs with the contracts for use when appropriate.

“We shall endeavor to demonstrate that in this case, the circulars used were forged, genuine contractors numbers were forged” the prosecution said.

Riungu further stated that they will show how several banks were used to receive and pay out fraudulent amounts of money.

According to the DPP, once the amounts landed into the accounts, they would instantly be withdrawn either in cash or transferred to other accounts including Standard Chartered Bank, Equity Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank.

The DPP said that it will show to the court how money was transferred from one account to another saying that most of the transaction by Ngirita’s were conducted at the Gilgil, Naivasha, Village Market and Hurligham Branches.

In page six of the DPP opening remarks, Riungu claim that on October 7, 2016 Richard Ndubai made a transfer of Ksh.7 million to CMC motors.

Today, the first witness Sebastian John Mokua heads at the Supplies Branch which is a Department in Public Works laid basis for the case.

He explained to the court the tendering process and even named some of the companies which applied to supply food stuff.