Four senior officials who previously served under former West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo have been granted various cash bails and bonds after being ordered to be recharged in a Ksh 291 million corruption case. The accused, Simon Kachapin Kodomuk and Mary Cheptur Ngoriakes, both former chief officers for education; Mathew Pkanan Arusio, the former county director of bursary; and former assistant county director Francis Pkemoi Tikol, appeared before Eldoret Chief Magistrate Dennis Mikoyan, where they denied all 27 charges against them during their plea.
The magistrate directed that the four be recharged following a prosecution application, as one suspect had surrendered to the court after summonses were issued. Kodomuk, who missed court last week, claimed he was hospitalized due to illness. In ruling on their bond applications, the magistrate ordered the first, second, and fourth accused to be released on a bond of Ksh 20 million each, with one surety of the same amount or a cash bail of Ksh 4.7 million. The second suspect was granted a bond of Ksh 3.2 million or a cash bail of Ksh 1.3 million.
“I direct that the suspects deposit their travel documents with my court assistant until the case is resolved,” Mikoyan stated. The charges stem from alleged offences committed between 2017/2018 and 2021/2022. The prosecution plans to call nine witnesses to testify during the trial.
The charges include conspiracy to commit an economic crime, fraudulent acquisition of public property, abuse of office, willful failure to comply with fund management procedures, and creating false documents. They are also accused of issuing bad cheques and false accounting as public officers.
The accused are represented by lawyer Kevine Ondago and were arrested last week by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission’s Eldoret regional office before their court appearance. The hearing is set for December 2, 3, and 4.
