By Peter Ochieng
Mzalendo Kibunja and four others on Tuesday denied corruption charges levelled against them.
Kibunja, the former National Museums of Kenya Director General (DG) was arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts alongside the four co-accused over alleged embezzlement of public funds amounting to Sh491 million.
The others are: Stanvas Ogalo who was the Director of Human Resources and Administration, Oliver Okinyi (Payroll ICT Officer), Wycliffe Ongata (Payroll ICT Officer) and Oscar Mwaura, a private individual.
Before Senior Principal Magistrate Victor Wakhumile, they were charged with conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, abuse of office, money laundering, acquisition of proceeds of crime, and financial misconduct among others.
They allegedly conspired to embezzle the money by arranging to fraudulently include on the payroll, names of persons claimed to be employees of the National Museums of Kenya.
“Between July 2016 and June 2022 within Nairobi City County in the Republic of Kenya, being the Director General, the Director Human Resource, Administration, and the Ag. Director General, Payroll ICT officer and the Payroll Accountant respectively at the National Museums of Kenya, you jointly and knowingly entered into an arrangement to include names of persons purportedly as employees of National Museums of Kenya in the payroll of the said National Museums of Kenya whereupon the sum of Sh491,214,551 was paid as salaries and gratuity while having reason to believe that the said monies formed proceeds of crime,” reads the charge sheet, in part.
They all denied the charges and were released on a bond of Sh5 million each.
The Court further ordered them not to interfere with witnesses.
Additionally, they were directed deposit their travelling documents with the court.
The case will be mentioned on June 2, 2024, where the date for pre-trial will be set.