Simam appears in court, out on bond

Eldoret South MP Peris Simam surrendered herself to an Eldoret court yesterday following a warrant of arrest issued against her. Simam with her husbandEnock Simam surrendered before principal magistrate Dolphina Alego. They are charged with misuse of CDF money meant for roads construction in Eldoret South. They were consequently charged with three counts of conspiring to commit an economic crime.

The two denied the charges and were released on a bond of Sh1 million each. The case will be mentioned on July 4 and hearing was set July 23. It is alleged that they were illegally involved in the award of a contract No UG-2-27 to Kachur Construction Company for the maintenance and repair of Bayete-Chuiyat-Bargeiywa road in Edoret South constituency to a company known as Kachur holdings which did not qualify for the tender. Its also alleged that the MP and her husband fraudulently acquired Sh1.9 million from KRRA, being payment for services that were not sufficiently rendered.

They are also charged with illegally acquiring another Sh2.5 million from KRRA for services that were not sufficiently rendered. Kachur holdings was also illegally issued with a payment certificate of Sh4.2 million before construction work on the road was inspected and accepted by KRRA. The four other suspects wanted in the case are still at large and the warrant against them was extended.

They include Laban Shachale who was the regional manager for KRRA in Eldoret, Pamela Maliti, a procurement officer at the KRRA office in Eldoret, John Simiyu and Wisdom Kimutai. They face charges of abuse of office and failure to adhere to tendering procedures in relation to repair and maintenance of roads in Eldoret South constituency.