Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has ordered for the arrest and arraignment of Migori governor Okoth Obado and 23 others for embezzling Sh73.4 million from public coffers.
In a statement, the DPP said that the county chief irregularly received the money through his children from companies trading with the county.
This was between 2013/14 and 2016/17 financial years, Haji revealed.
Investigations also showed that the companies belonged to persons closely related to Obado.
The companies are; Misoft Company Limited, Tarchdog Printers, Deltrack ICT services, Seletrack Consultants, Mactebac Contractors, Joyush Business, Swyfcon Engineering, Atinus Services, Kajulu business, Victorious Investment, Dolphins Softwares, Dankey Press and Pesulus Services.
The business proprietors are his three brothers: Jared Peter Kwaga, Patroba Ochanda and Joram Opala. The others were his mother, Penina Auma Otago and his sisters-in-law Christine Akinyi and Carolyne Onyango.
An audit trail showed that Sh38.9 million was wired to his three children; Dan Okoth, Jerry Okoth, and Susan Okoth.
This money was used to pay for their school fees and daily upkeep. Some was also used to purchase two Toyota Land Cruiser V8.
“The audit trail of the money revealed that companies wired Sh39 million to the governor’s children accounts which was used to pay school fees, upkeep and medical bills in Australia, Scotland and the UK, ” Haji said.
Some Sh34.5 was used to purchase the Loresho Ridge property for his other daughter, Evelyne Adhiambo.
In May, EACC obtained orders to seize the property which was owned by Kwaga, one of Obado’s proxies.
He (Kwaga) was paying rent to Ms Odhiambo.
DPP Noordin Haji gives a go a head for the prosecution of Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado in relation to embezzlement of Kshs. 73.4 million belonging to the county.#AntiCorruption_ODPP pic.twitter.com/e1bgH18Twi
— Office of The Director Of Public Prosecutions (@ODPP_KE) August 25, 2020
In 2018, the commission alleged that Obado had through proxies and relatives siphoned Sh2 billion from county coffers.
Then, EACC said that 7 individuals linked with the county boss registered 16 companies that traded with the county government.
They won tenders amounting to millions of shillings.
Those appearing on the list of suspects were: Jared Oluoch Kwaga, Christine Ochola, Carolyne Ochola, Joram Otieno, Patroba Otieno, Penina Otago and Robert Okeyo.
In a period of three years only, the aforementioned had made transactions worth Sh1, 971,179,180.
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