6th suspect charged over fake Sh180m laptops tender for Ruto's office
Caption.. Mr James William Makokha alias Mr Wanyonyi who denied laptop scam linked to the office of the Deputy President Dr William Ruto uncovers his face on orders of the magistrate.
What you need to know:
- Mr James William Makokha alias Mr Wanyonyi on Friday denied three counts of fraud before Milimani Senior Resident Magistrate Sinkiyian Tobiko.
- Mr Makokha, who lacked representation, was charged with forging a Local Purchase Order (LPO) No POQ422 under the name of the Office of the Deputy President for the supply of 2,800 HP laptops valued at Sh180 million.
A sixth suspect has been charged for allegedly defrauding a Makueni businessman of Sh180 million in a laptops scam using documents purportedly issued by Deputy President William Ruto’s office.
Mr James William Makokha alias Mr Wanyonyi on Friday denied three counts of fraud before Milimani Senior Resident Magistrate Sinkiyian Tobiko.
Mr Makokha, who lacked representation, was charged with forging a Local Purchase Order (LPO) No POQ422 under the name of the Office of the Deputy President for the supply of 2,800 HP laptops valued at Sh180 million.
He allegedly forged the document, with intent to defraud, between May 30 and August 12, 2018.
Mr Makokha is also accused of obtaining goods by false pretences from Makindu Motors Limited along Mombasa-Nairobi Highway between June 1 and August 12, 2018.
The prosecution said his case will be consolidated with another that is to be heard on November 18 2020.
“This case has never been heard despite being filed in court last year,” a lawyer for Makindu Motors told the court.
The magistrate released Mr Makokha was freed on Sh500,000 cash bail and said the case will be mentioned before Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku on October 16 for consolidation.
Other suspects
Those arraigned earlier are Ms Joy Wangari Kamau alias Miss Muhoro, Mr Jonah Ochieng Osore, Mr Teddy Mwiti, Mr Kelvin Matundura and Mr Augustine Wambua Matata.
They are accused of defrauding Mr Stephen Ngei Musyoka of computers valued at Sh
180 million while pretending to be officials working for the DP’s office.
Ms Wangari frustrated consolidation of the five cases for the third time on Monday when she failed to show up in court.
The magistrate issued a third warrant for the arrest of the suspect who prefers identifying herself using aliases.
The magistrate also granted the prosecution's application for forfeiture of Ms Wangari Sh500,000, which she had given as cash bail in order to secure her freedom.
In addition, police were summoned to explain why they were unable to execute the first warrant, which was issued last December.
This was after the court heard that the investigating officer was admitted to a city hospital following an accident on Monday morning.
Trial delays
Mr Osore, who worked as the deputy director in charge of the department of research at the ODP, protested delays in commencement of the trial, noting he is a civil servant.
He pleaded with the court to try him alone but Ms Mutuku denied the request.
Ms Wangari is said to have operated from the third floor of DP Ruto's office at Harambee House Annex in Nairobi. It is believed that it was from this location that she committed crimes in cahoots with an unknown number of insiders and outsiders.
Mr Osore was allegedly one of her accomplices in an intricate web that remained unknown until Makindu Motors walked into the trap.
While allegedly masquerading as a powerful procurement official working for the Deputy President, Ms Wangari met two of Mr Musyoka’s business associates - Charles Kamolo and Solomon Muema - on diverse dates in June to follow up on correspondences they had been exchanging about the deal.
The parties to the deal signed documents that were supposed to bind them to keep its details to themselves, according to documents seen by the Nation, before Mr Musyoka was allowed to supply the first 145 laptops at Treasury buildings in what appears to have been the perfect smokescreen.
"The first 145 computers were received by Ms Christian Mwendwa at Treasury buildings and the remaining consignment would be picked by Allan Kipsang from a depot in Eastleigh in vehicles that had 'Office of the Deputy President' insignia on them and which were escorted by four armed policemen,” says Mr Musyoka’s statement at Athi River Police Station.
He eventually supplied all the 2,800 laptops.
When he realised he had been conned, Mr Musyoka quickly enlisted the services of the Flying Squad and, banking on a tip off from some of his friends who were privy to the deal, raided a posh Westlands home from where they recovered 650 of the laptops he had supplied from the United Arab Emirates.
The driver
Mr Mwiti, the driver of one of the vehicles that transported the laptops, and Mr Matundura, were arrested where the laptops were recovered.
On September 14, a month after he recorded a statement at Parliament Police Station, Mr Osore was charged at the Milimani Law Courts with arbitrarily giving out his office No. B3-005 at 3rd floor to a stranger (civilian) - namely Joy Wangari Kamau alias Miss Muhoro - in abuse of the authority of his office.
He allegedly committed the offence on May 30, 2018, for the purpose of gain, being a person employed in public service as the deputy director of research in the DP’s office.
Other charges included conspiracy to defraud and forging the LPO at the centre of Mr Musyoka’s woes.
Though Mr Osore pleaded not guilty to all the three charges and was set free on Sh300,000 cash bail, the charge opened the lid on the highly knotted fake tender saga.
