•He maintained that he did not steal. "I'm a strict Muslim and staunch believer of Islam which prohibits theft, corruption and stealing," he said.
•Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud also appeared in the case as a witness.
Image: FILE
Wajir County Secretary Ahmed Sahal has said the Sh26 million corruption charges leveled against are politically instigated.
Sahal on Friday told magistrate Teresa Murigi that the case was meant to settle political scores and he was only a victim of a fight between two top leaders within Wajir County.
He said the investigating officer in the case was used as a political tool to ensure he is behind bars. "These charges are politically instigated, well choreographed with the sole intention to serve an interest of somebody who the people of wajir have denied election in the ballot," he said.
Sahal was defending himself in a case in which he has been charged with conspiring to defraud the county of Sh26.1 million.
He is charged alongside Daud Abdullahi and Jeff Kithinji.
Sayid Ibrahim (KCB Wajir branch manager) was set free by the court two months ago after the court found he has no case to answer.
Sahal, Abdulahi and Kithonji are accused of withdrawing the said money from KCB Wajir branch on October 9 2018.
Sahal also faces a separate charge of abuse of office in which it was claimed that he used his position to confer a benefit to Jeff by purporting that the County executive committee had appointed him the signatory of the imprest account.
He said the Investigating officer has been used to tarnish his name and that life has been extremely difficult for the past two-and-a-half years he has been under trial.
"My father can't adjudicate on clan matters in the village because I've been profiled as a corrupt thief. My wife also hasn't been able to visit the salon because I'm being labelled as a thief," he said.
He maintained that he did not steal. "I'm a strict Muslim and staunch believer of Islam which prohibits theft, corruption and stealing," he said.
Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud also appeared in the case as a witness.
During the trial, he told the court that he did not issue any instructions for the withdrawal of Sh25 million that has seen three of his county officials prosecuted over graft allegations.
In his testimony in chief, Mohamed said he was not aware of a request by CEC Finance for an overdraft facility of Sh25 million to Kenya Commercial Bank Wajir Branch.
The request was in form of a letter and the overdraft was for payment of county employees and office expenses at Wajir. “This letter has never been brought to my attention. Its contents were also never discussed in any of the CEC meetings in the last financial year,” he said.