Obado attempted to close bank accounts linked to Migori corruption saga, court told

Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado and his four children — Dan Achola Okoth, Scarlet Susan Okoth, Everlyn Zachary Okoth, and Jerry Zachary Okoth — along with 11 other accused persons, appeared at the Milimani anti-corruption court on Monday.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) presented evidence against the suspects over criminal charges of embezzlement and conflict of interest in the Migori county government.

Investigating officer Robert Rono detailed in court how Obado’s close associates used proxy companies and attempted to close seven bank accounts that may have been used in the embezzlement.

The latest development comes amid uproar from the public over an out-of-court settlement between EACC and Obado, where he agreed to forfeit properties worth Ksh.235 million.

According to the EACC, although initial investigations into payments made by the county following allegations of suspicious payments showed a possible loss of Ksh.1.98 billion by the Migori county government, subsequent findings revealed that most payments were legitimate, as some of the executed contracts were verified during an audit.

The findings established that Ksh.235 million remained unexplained and suspected to have been fraudulently acquired from the county government.

The unexplained funds included kickbacks sent to foreign universities as school fees for Obado’s children and high-value properties purchased for the family by implicated contractors.

These assets including prime property and two vehicles were forfeited to the EACC and are set to be auctioned.

Obado's trial was deferred to Tuesday to allow the prosecution to serve documents to the defence.

If found guilty, the suspects face convictions under Section 48 of the Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003, which mandates a maximum jail term of 10 years per offence, alongside other significant penalties, including a 10-year ban on holding public office, as stipulated by law.