An employee of a city-based NGO was on Thursday charged with stealing Sh17 million from the firm.
Nolesca Manyonge was accused of using his position as a chief accountant to pay himself Sh17 million from Veteries Sans Frontiers in Dagoretti.
The cash was deductions made from salaries of other employees. Manyonge denied the charge before Kibera chief magistrate Joyce Gandani.
The accused was arrested after his juniors found statements of M-Pesa transactions to his account. They noticed that between 2016 and July 2019, Manyonge transferred cash to his account. Other workers had complained they were being underpaid.
He was discovered by a junior staffer who he had trained to do the transactions.
The junior worker informed the M-Pesa line manager, a lady who swiftly ordered an audit into the payment process.
The audit showed "strange transactions."
The prosecution said the NGO was paying workers through M-Pesa because it was easy and convenient. It said most workers in rural areas were not conversant with bank transactions.
Manyonge told Gandani that he was being sacrificed by his colleagues for personal reasons. He said he never committed the offence and asked the court to release him on lenient bond terms.
Gandani granted him a bail of Sh400,000 with an alternative bond of Sh3 million. She directed the case be mentioned on August 30. The court ordered the suspect supplied with witness statements and documentary evidence to prepare for the case.
The matter will be heard on September 30.
edited by peter obuya
