Former National Museums of Kenya boss Mzalendo Kibunjia is granted bail in graft case
The suspects in the dock on April 16, 2024.
Former top officials of the National Museums of Kenya have been charged over the Sh491 million graft case.
The Director General Mzalendo Kibunja was charged alongside Stanvas Ongalo Opija ( former Director, Human Resources and Administration), Oliver Okinyi Rabour (ICT officer and payroll accountant, Wycliffe Odhiambo Ongata (trading as Galmalink Enterprises and Oscar Mwaura (trading as Altcoms Limited) were charged before anti-corruption Chief magistrate Victor Wakumile.
They faced 10 counts of conspiracy to commit corruption, embezzlement of public funds, abuse of office, money laundering and irregular acquisition of public funds.
Mr Kibunja and his co-accused denied paying ghost workers Sh491,214,551 The said money was allegedly paid in salaries and gratuities.
Mr Wakumile heard that the accused persons received 491.2 million into their accounts while knowing the said money was proceeds of crime.
The suspects, the court heard, pretended to be ghost workers who had been paid salaries and gratuity through Galmalink and Altcoms Limited between July 2016 and June 2022.
Ongata who was trading as Galmalink allegedly received Sh14,.5 million from Oscar Mwaura and Victor Owuor knowing the said money was proceeds of crime unlawfully paid from National Museum of Kenya (MMK).
Rabour through the company Florab Technical Services Limited is to have received Sh5 million and Mwaura trading as Altcoms Enterprises was accused of receiving Sh24.5 million.
Mr Kibunja was separately charged with financial misconduct when he was employed by NMK.
He denied that he wastefully expended Sh441.4 million in salaries and gratuities paid to ghost workers at the NMK.
Ogalo, Rabour, Ongata and Mwaura were charged with conspiracy to defraud NMK Sh49,885,476.
They were accused of colluding with a private individual to embezzle the said money.
Mr Kibunja through his lawyer, Masangya Mwema, applied to be freed on bond saying he is not a flight risk and that he cooperated with investigators during the probe.
"The offense against Kibunja is bailable and I urge this court to exercise its discretion through admitting the accused on reasonable terms which are not punitive," Muema said.
In his ruling, Wakumile ordered each of the accused to deposit a bond of Sh10 million with a surety of the same amount or alternative cash bail of Sh5 million with a contact person.
He also ordered the accused not to interfere with the witnesses nor contact them and to deposit their travel documents in court and fix the case for pre-trial and directions within a fortnight.
