• The defence hearing began on Monday with Lenolkulal taking to the stance to defend himself.
• The former governor told trial magistrate Thomas Nzioki that he was wrongfully prosecuted.
Image: The Star
Former Samburu governor Moses Lenolkulal will today continue with his testimony in a case where he is charged with corruption-related offences.
The defence hearing began on Monday with Lenolkulal taking to the stance to defend himself.
The former governor told trial magistrate Thomas Nzioki that he was wrongfully prosecuted.
Lenolkulal was last year put on his defence for charges ranging from abuse of office to conflict of interest where the state maintains he corruptly received Sh84 million for the supply of petroleum products at the county government.
Lenolkulal on Monday said there was no money lost in the deal and that the county government got value for its cash.
He maintained that the county government got value for money.
The former county chief was charged in 2019 with four counts of abuse of office and conflict of interest leading to the loss of Sh84 million in public funds.
He has been accused of using his company- Oryx service station- to supply petrol and diesel to the county.
Lenolkulal cited more than 200 vouchers produced in court as evidence saying they are proof that there was a lawful transaction and all documentation was in order.
He said he had written a letter to the county secretary declaring his interest in the firm, which was copied to all accounting and procurement officers.
It’s based on this declaration that Lenolkulal said the charges levelled against him are misplaced.
He said the investigative agencies ought to have considered his declaration before charging him.
“The prosecution did not undertake adequate time to study the details regarding this case. We still believe it was a wrongful prosecution,” Lenolkulal said.
He said the conflict of interest against himself having been declared therefore cleared him from any wrongdoing.
“I have never benefited from any funds from Samburu county government paid through or otherwise transacted through Oryx service station,” he said.
Lenolkulal explained that he later transferred the proprietorship of Oryx and leased the station to one Hesbon Ndathi to avoid any cases of conflict of interest.
The court heard that Lenolkulal ceased being a signatory of the Oryx account with Kenya Commercial Bank in October 2015 upon recovery of monies from debtors some of whom were the national government.
But the prosecution’s case is that Lenolkulal used his proxies to conceal the real ownership of the Oryx service station in a bid to unlawfully acquire Sh84 million from the county.