Waititu to Face Trial in Ksh 588M Graft Case- Court Says
Thursday, the Anti-Corruption Court ruled that the former governor of Kiambu, Ferdinand Waititu, has a case to answer in the Ksh588 million corruption case.
The court ruled that the former governor’s alleged embezzlement of millions of dollars should proceed to trial.
In his decision, Chief Magistrate of Milimani Thomas Nzyoki noted that the court had determined that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the defendants, thereby justifying their placement on the defense team.
By summoning a total of thirty-two (32) witnesses and producing 741 exhibits, the prosecution had concluded its case.
Waititu filed a lawsuit asking the court to dismiss the allegations against him and his wife, Susan Wangari. The court’s decision is a result of his efforts.
At the time, he argued that the charge sheet lacked a breakdown of the allegations they were facing.
“We submit that placing the aforementioned accused persons on their defense will be tantamount to using them to prove the prosecution case which will be a miscarriage of justice,” noted Waititu in court filings in August.
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The politician defended himself further by stating that the Office of the Public Prosecutors (ODPP), which was prosecuting the case, failed to demonstrate that the money was the result of corruption.
“In the absence of a prima facie case, we submit that the only recourse available to the court is the accused persons’ acquittal. The accused persons ought not to be placed on their defense,” Waititu’s argued.
The court has not yet scheduled a hearing date for the case.
In the case, Waititu and five other putative beneficiaries, including Wangari, were accused of receiving Ksh 588,198,328 from tenders.
Specifically, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigators detail that the over Ksh588 million contract was awarded to a company that the former governor owns through proxies.
Waititu, however, maintained that he was innocent in the case that started in 2019, leading to his impeachment and subsequent ban from ever holding a public office.
According to reports, the solicitation in question was issued in February 2018.
Waititu to Face Trial in Ksh 588M Graft Case- Court Says
