Taita Taveta Deputy Speaker Anselm Mwadime has denied charges of embezzlement of Sh17 million used to fund a bonding trip for members of the County Assembly to Zanzibar in October 2022.
Mwadime was arrested on Sunday afternoon and brought to Mombasa to face the charges before the Mombasa Chief Magistrate, Alex Ithuku, on Monday afternoon.
He was charged with abuse of office and financial misconduct that led to a loss of over Sh2 million in the one-week trip for the members of the County Assembly Liaison Committee.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) singled out Mwadime for allegedly approving payments amounting to Sh1.3 million for five members of the secretariat of the County Assembly Liaison Committee while knowing the trip was meant for the MCAs only.
Mwadime allegedly approved the payment of Gadiel Maghanga (Sh325,324), Joseph Waduu (Sh265,225), Zuhura Rehema (Sh225,870), Mary Ambi (Sh265,225), and James Mwang’ombe (Sh265,225), all amounting to Sh1,346,870.
The Deputy Speaker further allegedly approved the wasteful expenditure of Sh795,675 paid to Chrispus Tondo, Rose Sariki and Mohammed Omar, officers of the Taita Taveta Assembly, while knowing they were not members of the Liaison Committee.
Mwadime denied the two charges and was released on a Sh1 million bond, with a similar amount of surety, or an alternative of Sh500,000 cash bail.
The matter will be mentioned on March 11, 2024.
According to EACC, in October 2022, some 21 Taita Taveta MCAs and five county assembly officials travelled to Zanzibar, Tanzania, for a boding conference.
EACC said the imprest was advanced to the Speaker, Clerk, 21 MCAs and four other officers for travelling to Zanzibar for a bonding trip in the financial year 2022-2023.
According to EACC, Sh9 million was paid to the organisers of the trip, and the remaining Sh8 million was paid as an imprest advance to the MCAs and county officials who were to attend the conference.
In its investigation, EACC also revealed that the County Assembly of Taita Taveta allegedly used forged travel clearance letters purportedly issued by the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Devolution, as authority to travel to Zanzibar.
EACC also found out that out of the 30 officers who were paid imprest to travel to Zanzibar, 25 officials travelled and spent 5 nights in Zanzibar and one night locally, as opposed to six nights in Zanzibar, resulting in a loss of Sh1,033,288.00
Some four officials did not travel, and one officer travelled for three nights in Zanzibar. This resulted in a loss of Sh1,182,263.00.
The officers delegated for the training were paid full daily subsistence allowance while in Zanzibar for five nights, yet Bonfire Adventures had already paid accommodation at Marijani Beach Resort and Spa Hotel at US dollar 132 per night for each officer.
This EACC said that resulted in the loss of public funds to the tune of Sh3,965,889.00.
