Two suspects in Sh351 million corruption case to plead guilty

Two suspects who allegedly conspired with former Murang’a governor Mwangi wa Iria in a Sh351 million corruption case will appear in court today to plead guilty.

The two, David Maina Kiama and Jane Waigwe Kimani, were not present in court last week during the testimony of other co-accused.

Kiama was said to be in northern Tanzania and Jane was ill.

The court adjourned her statement until May 7 and ordered Jane to submit medical documents to the court substantiating her illness and Kiama to deposit her travel documents to prove that she was indeed in Tanzania.

Other defendants pleaded guilty Monday and were released on bail.

Wa Iria was granted bail of Sh20 million and bail of a similar amount.

Wa Iria denied charges of irregularly awarding contracts to Top Image Media Consultants Limited worth Sh351 million.

As an alternative to bail, Anti-Corruption Court Magistrate Thomas Nzyuki gave him the option of posting a cash bail of Sh10 million.

His co-accused, David Njeri and Solomon Kimani, were released after posting bail of Sh5 million and Sh7 million respectively.

In the same courts, the anti-graft court will decide whether a businessman who allegedly conspired to defraud Kenyans by selling fake fertilizers in a Sh209 million case should be released on bail.

Josiah Kariuki, who is said to be the director of Fifty-One Capital Limited and SBL Innovate Manufacturers Limited, will appear before Chief Magistrate Celesa Okore.

He denied charges of conspiracy to defraud and forgery, among other charges.

In the first count, he is accused of conspiring, together with others who were not before the court, with the intention to defraud Kenyan farmers by selling a total of 139,688 bags of 25 kg each of valued soil amendment and conditioner at 209,532,000 shillings, claiming it was genuine fertilizer, a fact they knew to be false.

He allegedly committed the offense on March 31, 2022 at the headquarters of the Kenya National Grains and Produce Board in Nairobi City, within Nairobi County.

In another charge, Kariuki was charged that on January 12, 2023, at an unknown location within the country, together with other persons who did not appear in court with the intention of deceiving the Nakuru Region offices of the Office of Kenya Standards, forged an agreement namely, value-added soil amendment and conditioner for organic fertilizers and animal supplements.

It was allegedly intended to be an authentic and valid agreement signed between SBL Innovate Manufacturers Ltd and African Diatomite Industries Limited.