Four Businessmen Convicted in Sh80 Million Judiciary Fraud Involving Fake Suppliers and Manipulated Payment System
Source: Kenya Today
Summary
Four businessmen were found guilty in a major fraud case involving the manipulation of Kenya's Judiciary financial systems to facilitate payments of more than Sh80 million to companies that had supplied no goods or services to the courts. The four, Henry Achoka, Dancun Bokela, Reuben Kirongothi and Martin Murathe, were convicted by Nairobi Chief Magistrate Roselyne Onganyo following a trial that exposed how fraudulent payment requests were processed through the government's Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). The prosecution established that the businessmen participated in a scheme involving Sh80,013,302 in September 2013, with money channelled to companies that had no legitimate basis for receiving payments from the Judiciary. In her judgment, Magistrate Onganyo ruled that the prosecution had proved the relevant charges against the four businessmen, including offences involving theft and the handling of stolen property. The court found that the convicted businessmen had received public funds through companies linked to them but failed to provide satisfactory explanations for the payments. How the Sh80 Million Judiciary Fraud Was Uncovered The fraudulent transactions came to light after CFC Bank contacted the Judiciary's then Finance Director, Benedict Omollo, seeking confirmation that suspicious payments were genuine. The inquiry raised concerns about transactions processed...