TAITA TAVETA, Kenya, Jun, 26 – A one-time political advisor to former Taita Taveta governor John Mruttu, Geoffrey Kimonge Mbogho, is staring at corruption charges after the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) moved to court seeking to recover Sh13,997,987 from him.
According to EACC, it received a report that Mbogho fraudulently held and used the money which was set aside as imprest for Taita Taveta County MCAs and staff.
The complaint was made on August 18, 2020.
An investigation by the commission further revealed that the siphoning of public funds allegedly took place between 2015 and 2017.
“On 20th November 2015, he fraudulently applied for and received imprest of Sh 1,000,000 purportedly for allowances for Members of various County AssemblyWards within the said County. He never paid the monies to the said Members of County Assembly Wards,” said EACC in a statement further saying,” On 27th November 2015 he fraudulently applied for and received imprest of Sh1,070,000 purportedly for allowances for Members of various County Assembly Wards within the said County. He never paid the monies to the said Members of County Assembly Wards,”
On March 17, 2016, Mbogho is further accused of fraudulently applying for and receiving an imprest of Sh1,300,000 purportedly for allowances for Members of various County Assembly Wards within the said County.
“He never paid the monies to the said Members of County Assembly Wards and has never surrendered the imprest,”
A similar sequence of fraudulently obtaining the public monies is said to have occurred as late as 2017.
“On 17th May 2017, he fraudulently applied for and received an imprest of Sh560,000/- purportedly for Governor’s activities but never surrendered the same,”
“Geoffrey Kimonge Mbogho, therefore, contrary to his duty as a public officer and in breach of public trust illegally and fraudulently acquired a total of Sh13,977,987.00 for his personal gain thereby unjustly enriching himself at the expense of the public,”
The matter filed at the Voi Law Courts seeks to declare that the total sum of money was illegally and fraudulently acquired by the defendant from the County Government of Taita Taveta in breach of public trust.
EACC is also seeking, an order for payment of Sh13,977,987.00 by Defendant to the Government of Kenya, an order of payment of interest at commercial rates of Sh13,977,987.00 from the date of acquisition of each tranche as enumerated in paragraph 6 above to the date of filing the suit.
Also, interest at court rates from the date of filing suit till payment in full and costs of and incidental to this suit.
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