Malindi Member of Parliament Aisha Jumwa was on Monday charged afresh in a graft case against her and six others.
This is following a move by the prosecution to amend the charges facing the lawmaker and her co-accused.
The suspects are accused of misappropriating over Ksh19 million from the Malindi Constituency Development Fund (CDF) kitty.
It’s alleged that several businesses controlled by Jumwa through her proxies fraudulently received funds amounting to Ksh19 million from the National Government Constituency Development Fund and in turn transmitted the cash to her.
The MP and her suspected accomplices have been charged with 13 offenses including forgery, fraud in procurement and money laundering.
In the Monday court session, the lawmaker, through her lawyers before taking the plea afresh, declined to answer to the charges insisting to be given time to go through the statements recorded in the new charge sheet.
The MP was dealt a blow after her lawyers pulled out of the case after unsuccessfully pleading with the court to have the matter adjourned to another date.
Read: DPP Orders Arrest Of Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, 6 Others Over Alleged Misappropriation Of CDF Money
Lawyers Shadrack Wambui and Danstan Omari wanted the matter to be heard by another magistrate following the transfer of trial Magistrate Edna Nyaloti.
The court insisted on hearing the case on Tuesday without considering their submissions.
Jumwa, who is out on Ksh2 million cash bail, was directed to get a new team to represent her before the next sitting.
Read Also: Aisha Jumwa Released On Sh2 Million Bail In CDF Graft Case
Suspects charged alongside the MP include Wachu Omar Abdalla (Malindi CDF Account Manager), and members of the Malindi Tender Evaluation Committee Kennedy Otieno Onyango, Bernard Riba Kai, Sophia Saidi Charo and Margaret Faith Kalume.
Robert Katana Wenje, a Director of Multserve Contractors Limited, is also implicated in the graft case.
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