Former IEBC official freed from prison after paying Sh7.5m fine
Former Deputy IEBC Chief Executive Officer Wilson Shollei. He has been freed after paying a Sh7.5 million fine over involvement in Chickengate scandal.
A former IEBC official is now a free man after paying a fine of Sh7.5 million imposed by the Anti-Corruption Court over his involvement in the Sh1.3 billion tender for supply of election material.
Wilson Shollei, who had started serving his seven year jail term at the Nairobi Remand Prison over the chickengate scam, was freed on Tuesday this week after paying the fine imposed on him.
Mr Shollei had been found guilty alongside former IEBC CEO James Oswago for abuse of office and willful failure to comply with the law relating to procurement when they procured electronic voter identification devices for the 2013 March 4 General Elections.
They were both ordered to each pay a fine of Sh7.5 million or in default serve seven years in jail over graft related charges.
Aggrieved by the conviction and sentence, Mr Shollei filed an application before High court Judge Esther Maina seeking bail pending appeal.
But on Thursday December 15 Mr Shollei abandoned the application after paying the fine.
His lawyer told the court he has since been released and now wishes to amend the application before court.
Justice Maina allowed Mr Shollei's request for withdrawal of the application and allowed him to amend the appeal challenging the conviction and sentence.
The trial court convicted the duo after finding that the prosecution proved the case against them beyond reasonable doubt.
Magistrate Felix Kombo who convicted the former IEBC chiefs, said it was incumbent upon Mr Oswago and Mr Shollei to advise the commission plenary sitting on the procurement of the devices and any variations would have required amendment of the contract to be approved by the tender committee.
While convicting them the magistrate termed their actions as deliberate and willful acts.
"Both of them had a legal duty to ensure the procurement breaches were not committed," Justice Kombo had ruled.
