Officer says signature forged in letter introducing Savula to GAA

A public relations officer in the Health ministry has disowned a letter introducing publishing companies owned by Lugari member of parliament Ayub Savula and his two wives to the Government Advertising Agency (GAA).

Ms Judy Sirma said on Wednesday that the signature in the letter dated January 10, 2017 was not hers and that she did not recommend the companies to the GAA.

Ms Sirma also denied writing another letter authorising payment of Sh4 million to a publisher, saying it bore her name but that her signature was forged.

Testifying before Milimani Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi, she said, "I did not author the letter which introduced and recommended The Sunday Publishers Limited, which prints the weekly Sunday Express, to place an advert on a polio vaccine."

The advert ran in the Sunday Express from January 22-23, 2017.

THE CLAIMS

Ms Sirma testified in a case in which Mr Savula his two wives - Melody Gatwiri and Hellen Jepkorir Kemboi - and their companies are charged with defrauding the government of Sh122,335,500.

They allegedly did so by pretending they could offer advertisement services in magazines with wide circulation in Kenya.

Mr Savula and 29 others have been charged with stealing more than that amount from the State department of Broadcasting and telecommunication

The other suspects in the case former ICT Principal Secretary Sammy Ishiundu Itemere; Dennis Kuko Chebitwey, a former director at the GAA; Dickson Onlala Nyandiga, an Under-Secretary in the State department; Henry Musambaga Mungasia, an administrative secretary and AIE holder; and Susan Akinyi Ouma, a chief media buyer.

They allegedly conspired to steal the money between July 1, 2015 and August 30, 2018. All the accused are out on bond.

Mr Chebitwey, Mr Itemere, Mr Nyandiga, Mr Mungasia and Ms Ouma are charged separately with abuse of office for allegedly authorising payment of the Sh122million to Mr Savula’s companies for services not rendered.

The companies are The Sunday Publishers, The Express Media Group, Melsaw Company Limited, Johnnewton Communications, No Burns Protection Agencies Limited, Cross Continents Ventures and Shieldlock Limited.

THE ARRANGEMENT

Ms Sirma explained that the ministry had been subcontracting Mr Savula's companies for services including placing advertisements in the media.

She said that when the GAA was established in July 10, 2015, the Treasury minister directed all ministries and government departments to place all its adverts through the agency.

The officer told the court that the ministry was a user department and that she wrote letters to secure media advertisements through the GAA on quarterly basis.

“The GAA was to contract, manage and procure advertising services for the government,” she said in cross-examination by defence lawyer Karathe Wandugi.

She added that four payment vouchers shown to her at the criminal investigations department were not from the ministry.

SAVULA ABSENT

Mr Andayi said the case will proceed in Mr Savula's absence as he was allowed to travel to Spain for a familiarisation tour for the Committee on Transport and Infrastructure between March 29 and April 7.

He was directed to return his passport to the court upon returning.

The trial will proceed on April 1.