NYS cash theft suspects fail to appear in court for the third time

The National Youth Service scam suspects; Josephine Kavura, Ben Gethi, Charity Wangui together with eight others have for the third time failed to appear in court to take plea.

The suspects, who are facing money laundering charges, did not appear in court claiming they were not served with summons to appear.

The prosecution, however, claims it was difficult to serve the suspects with the court summons as some of the advocates for the suspects have refused to receive the summons on behalf of their clients.

Senior Principal Magistrate Joyce Gadhani ordered the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to serve the accused through the local dailies with the widest national circulation.

The case is now set for mentioning on the 14^th of April 2016 to confirm if the summons were effected before another date is set for the suspects to take plea.

Earlier this month, the High Court temporarily stopped the prosecution of 11 suspects linked to the 791 million shillings theft at the NYS.

This is after one of the suspects, Patrick Ogolla, went to court and successfully obtained an order suspending his prosecution for the charge.

The suspects are facing charges of jointly transferring 77.6 million shillings to an account at a local bank.

Late February, police also instituted charges against businesswoman Josephine Kabura and 10 other people, accusing them of money laundering and purchasing prime property and state of the art vehicles with money stolen from the National Youth Service.

Kabura, John Kago Ndungu, Patrick Ogolla Onyango and Ben Gethi Wangui are accused of arranging the purchase of a Range Rover Reg. No: KCB 750Z worth 23 million shillings with proceeds of crime between December 31st, 2014 and 30th April 2015.

Kabura, Kago and Gethi’s mother, Charity Wangui Gethi, allegedly arranged the purchase of a Jeep Cherokee KCD 241Q worth 6.3 million shillings.

The DPP in another count said Samuel Mudanyi Wachenje alias Sam Mwadime engaged in the purchase of a Toyota Prado KCE 874R worth 5.2 million shillings with money stolen from NYS.

Another count accuses Kabura, Kago, Anthony Kihara Gethi and John Hope Vandamme of arrangement for the purchase of a Land Cruiser KCD 536P valued at 5.07 million shillings with part of the 791 million shillings siphoned from NYS.

Kago, Kihara and Paul Kinuthia Gachoka also allegedly purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser worth 5.2 million shillings with the same money.

The DPP further said that between 1st December 2014 and 30th April 2015, Kabura, Kago, Charity Wangui Gethi, Patrick Ogolla Onyango and Gachara Wanjohi arranged the transfer of 77.6 million shillings to an account belonging to Gethi’s mother at Faulu Kenya, among other counts.