National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) Director General Stephen Ogenga was on Monday charged with allegedly improperly awarding Sh4.8 million tender for the supply and repair of training machines.
Ogenga was accused that he allegedly improperly conferred a benefit of Sh4,800,654 to a certain firm by authorising payments to the company in respect of a tender for the supply, delivery, installation, training, servicing, maintenance and repair of sewing and training machines.
The court heard that he allegedly committed the offence on dates between January 31, 2019 and June 30, 2021 within the country.
Ogenga was charged alongside former NITA boss Paul Kipsang Kosgei who did not plead to the charges as he was not present in court.
Kosgei, through his lawyer, applied to defer his plea taking saying he was sick at home in Keiyo region.
He requested to appear in court on Wednesday, May 5, 2024.
Two other suspects and a company were separately charged with two counts related to the alleged offence.
They were accused of allegedly improperly acquiring public property of Sh10 million by presenting a falsified bid in respect of tender No NITA/12/2017-201 for the supply of training machines for the FY2017/2018.
The prosecution said they allegedly committed the offence by being a limited liability company and its directors between April 15, 2019 and June 30, 2021.
The three faced another charge of engaging in fraudulent practice by submitting a falsified bid in a tender.
The court heard they committed the offence between December 31, 2016 and June 20, 2018.
They appeared before Anti-Corruption trial magistrate Zipporah Gichana and denied the charges.
The prosecution did not oppose their release on bond.
However, they asked the accused to deposit their passports and travel documents through court permission.
They were also urged not to interfere with witnesses.
The accused, through lawyer Kirathe Wandugi, requested for lenient bail terms.
"We object to have the accused deposit their passports in and they will maintain good behaviour not approaching witnesses because they don't even know them", the lawyer said.
Wandugi argued that Ogenga is not a flight risk and he has served for long at NITA.
The magistrate considered the submissions by both parties and released the accused persons on a cash bail of Sh1 million or a bond of Sh5 million.
She also ordered their passports to be deposited in court.
Magistrate Gichana directed Kosgei to appear in court on Wednesday for plea-taking.
The case will be mentioned on June 19.
