The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered Ksh 47,075,978 stolen from the County Assembly of Homa Bay.
The money was lost through a fraudulent scheme hatched by the then County Assembly Clerk Bob Kephas Otieno, his wife Everlyne Owino Ogutu, and local bank manager David Obonyo.
According to the anti graft agency, the defendants siphoned the amount from the Homabay County Assembly Bank Accounts and illegally paid themselves for services not rendered.
The Commission recovered the amount through a civil suit filed at the High Court in Milimani against the following five defendants namely, Kephas, his wife, Caroline Chepkemoi Sang- Principal Finance Officer, Homa Bay County Assembly, Maurice Odiwuor Amek- Senior Accounts Controller, Homa Bay County Assembly.
Others are David Obonyo and Lilian Achieng joint business partners trading As Damila Enterprises Ltd –
Notably, David Obonyo was the Equity Bank branch manager, Homa Bay, and the sole signatory to Damila Enterprise account.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Esther Maina said that she was satisfied that the defendants corruptly acquired the monies as claimed by EACC and ordered them to pay back together with interest at a court rate of 12pc from the date of loss in 2015.
EACC moved to Court after the Defendants failed to comply with the Commission’s demand to surrender the illegal funds to the Commission.
The criminal case is ongoing before the Homabay Anti-Corruption Court.
