EXPOSED: How County Clerk paid wife Sh26m for ‘supplying nothing’
Homa Bay County Assembly Clerk Bob Kephas Otieno, is said to have wired Sh26.3 million from the county coffers to his wife’s bank account for supplying ‘nothing’, according to investigations carried out by the Ethics Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Mr Otieno is among the seven county officials, including Principal Accountant Maurice Amek, whose arrest and prosecution the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji recently ordered for.
The officials in question have been accused of collusion to embezzle county funds.
According to EACC documents tabled in court, Otieno is said to have used his influence to transfer Sh26, 272,460 on different dates to a company by the name Nyangume Enterprise, which is owned by his wife Everline Awino Agutu.
The money, which was later withdrawn and part of it transferred to Otieno’s account, was disguised as payment for goods and services ‘tendered’ but which were never rendered.
EMBEZZLEMENT
Mr Otieno is said to have acted in his capacity as the accounting officer of the assembly who approves all payments.
According to EACC report, the money was transferred in five installments within five months in 2016 to the accounts of Nyangume Enterprise which was registered in July 13, 2013.
In an earlier mentioning of the case at the Anti-Corruption court, Ms Awino stated she had applied for the tenders at the County Assembly and succeeded through competitive procurement process. She also said she delivered the goods and services.
However, EACC said Nyangume Company was neither pre-qualified nor appeared in the tender quotation register.
In May last year, Nation reported that Mr Otieno moved to Kisumu High Court wanting investigation against him over embezzlement of funds by the DPP to be stopped.
The clerk had argued that the probe against him which was ongoing had reportedly stalled the County Assembly’s’ activities.