The Director of Public Prosecutions says he has new evidence in Migori Governor Okoth Obado’s Sh73.4 million graft case.
The court heard that the prosecution intends to produce 500 new pieces of documentary evidence to prove their case against the governor and his co-accused.
“During the pre-trial session with Evans Rono, a witness in the case whom we intend to call as the first witness, it was discovered that there were some more documents which the witness will make reference to,” the prosecution said.
State counsel Eva Kanyuira told anti-corruption court chief magistrate Lawrence Mugambi that the 500 additional documents were inadvertently not supplied to the defence.
She asked the court to allow the defence time to go through the documents.
Mugambi, who had directed that the matter be heard yesterday, allowed the defence one day to go through the new evidence. The hearing will commence today.
Obado and his children were charged last year with conspiracy to commit a felony relating to the fraud of Sh73.4 million from Migori county.
It is alleged that being the governor, Obado held an indirect private interest in several contracts that paid money into his children's accounts.
Obado was separately charged with eight counts of conflict of interest for the different times that each of the children received the money in their accounts from the county's coffers.
The governor has also denied a charge of money laundering. Obado and his son Dan Achola were jointly charged with money laundering.
It is alleged that they entered into an arrangement of transfer of Sh10 million for the purchase of a Land Cruiser knowing that the said money was proceeds of crime.
Deltrack ICT Services—owned by Joram Opala, a brother of Jared Kwaga, who is one of the accused—was paid Sh30.6 million. He then wired Sh10.8 million to Achola.
Three of the firms associated with the Kwaga family were also paid Sh163.5 million by the Migori government.
The firms include Pesulus Supplies and Kajulu Business Ltd, owned by Kwaga’s mother Peninah Auma, and Atinus Services, owned by Kwaga’s wife Christine Akinyi.
After receipt of the cash, Sh20 million was wired to Misoft Company Ltd, co-owned by Kwaga and his wife.
Tarchdog Printers Ltd, owned by Kwaga’s brother Joram Opala Otieno, was also separately paid Sh37.4 million by the county.
Edited by A.N
