NITA boss director General Stephen Ogenga charged with Sh4.8million tender fraud
NITA boss charged with Sh4.8million tender fraud
National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) director General Stephen Ogenga was on Monday charged with improperly awarding Sh4.8million tender for the supply and repair of training machines.
Ogenga was accused that being a director General NITA, he used his office to improperly confer a benefit of Sh4,800,654 to Xponics limited by authorizing payments to the said company in respect of a tender for the supply delivery, installation, training, servicing, maintenance and repair of sewing and training machines.
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 deffer his plea taking saying he was sick at home in Keiyo region.
He requested to appear in court on Wednesday.
Two other suspects with a company were separately charged with two counts of fraud.
Xponics Limited, James Waweru and Sheila Wambui were accused of fraudulently acquiring public property of Sh10million by presenting a falsified bid to ensure an unfair advantage in respect of tender No. NITA/12/2017-201 for the supply of training machines for the FY2017/2018.
The prosecution said they 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 a 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 through court permission.
They were also urged not to interfere with the 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 Sh1million or a bond of Sh5million.
She also ordered for 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.