The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) wants former Director General of National Museums of Kenya, Dr Mzalendo Kibunja and four others charged over the misappropriation of Sh490 million.
In a statement, the DPP said the aforementioned monies were paid to ghost workers between 2015 and 2022.
The DPP further stated that Kibunja, three other employees and an Equity Bank staff were set to be prosecuted.
The others are; Stanvas Ongalo Opijah who was the Director, Human Resources and Administration, Oliver Okinyi Rabuor (ICT Officer, Payroll Section), Wycliffe Odhiambo Ongata (Accountant, Payroll Section) and Equity Bank Accountant Oscar Mwaura Wambui.
“DPP made the Decision to Charge the former Director General of National Museums of Kenya, Dr. Mzalendo Kibunja, along with three employees and an employee of Equity Bank with embezzlement of Ksh.490 million at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK), which was irregularly paid as salaries to ghost employees and later transferred to officers of the institution between FY 2015/2016 and 2021/2022,” said the DPP on Saturday.
According to the DPP, a case file submitted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) prompted the prosection of the five persons.
They will face five counts among them conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, abuse of office, unlawful acquisition of public property, acquisition of proceeds of crime contrary and financial misconduct contrary to the law.
The anti-graft commission last year revealed that 105 ghost workers were on the National Museums payroll between 2016 and 2022.
They received a gross salary of between Sh88,000 and Sh95,000.
The said ghost workers were also allowed access to loan facilities from a single bank.
After receiving their looted pay, they handed it to National Museums officials. They would later be paid between Sh100,000 to Sh200,000 for their troubles.
EACC further revealed that these activities cost Kenyans a whopping Sh491.4 million.
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