A DCI officer was yesterday directed to supply former Kenya Pipeline managing director Joe Sang and others with all the documentary evidence to be used during trial over the Sh1.9 billion scandal.
Anti-corruption magistrate Douglas Ogoti said the inventory of documents picked from KPC by the investigating officer should be given to the defence team by close of yesterday.
Officer Kassim Baritich was also ordered to prepare an inventory to be signed by either the accused person or defence lawyers before the next hearing.
Prosecutor Mary Gateru told the court the investigating officer had undertaken to supply all the documents pursuant to the orders of February 21.
“The documents he has not supplied are not in possession of the DCIO. We can only disclose what we have,” she said.
Ogoti later assigned the case to senior principal magistrate Victor Wakumile for further directions. He said the case will proceed daily but parties are encouraged to adopt a plea bargain, if any.
Former Kenya Pipeline MD Sang, secretary Gloria Khafafa, supply chain manager Vincent Cheruiyot, infrastructure manager Billy Aseka and procurement manager Nicholas Gitobu are charged with a Sh1.9 billion scandal at the corporation.
The five were accused of engaging in a project without prior planning between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017, at KPC headquarters in Nairobi by approving the construction of the Kisumu Oil Jetty amounting to Sh1,963,065,422.
Sang faces additional charges of abuse of office and willful failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of public funds.
The former MD was also accused of willingly failing to comply with the Public Finance Management Act by unlawfully authorising the payments.
Khafafa and Cheruiyot faces additional charges of using their positions at KPC to improperly confer a benefit to Southern Engineering Company Ltd, by executing the contract in respect to the tender for the construction of Kisumu Oil Jetty at a cost that exceeded the approved budget.
They are out on a cash bail of Sh2 million each.
The court has listed 33 witnesses. The matter will be mentioned on April 1 for further directions before magistrate Wakumile.
Edited by Rosemary Wangui
