By Dorothy Musyoka
The prosecution plans to call 33 witnesses in the Kshs8.6 million graft case against the suspended Bomas of Kenya CEO Mr. Peter Gitaa Koria.
According to Prosecution Counsel Alex Akula, the prosecution has supplied 114 documents to the court that it will be relying on in the case.
Mr. Peter Gitaa Koria who was suspended in office, was charged by the Ethics Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on 26th April 2024 for allegedly misappropriation of Kshs. 8,587,831.00.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions has today made the decision to charge Mr. Peter Gitaa Koria, the suspended Chief Executive Officer of Bomas of Kenya over procurement irregularities amounting to KES.8,587831.00,” read the statement.
In a statement from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) dated 26th April 2024, the accused was found to have engaged in procurement irregularities in the award of the following tenders: Quotation No.15/kitchen items, Quotation No.16/utensils, Quotation No.17/kitchen items, Quotation No.18/plates & cups and Quotation No.19/ cutlery and other items which were not factored in the Bomas of Kenya’s Budget and Procurement Plan FY 2020/2021.
It is alleged that Koria as the CEO and Accounting officer of Bomas of Kenya, willfully failed to comply with the law relating to procurement.
“He is also charged with willful failure to comply with the law relating to procurement contrary to Section 45(2) (b) as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act 2003,” the ODPP noted.
He was also accused of engaging in a procurement process without an approved budget in relation to various tenders during the financial 2020/2021.
“The accused is charged with willfully failing to comply with procurement laws in the procurement of cutlery and other commodities that were not included in the Bomas of Kenya’s Budget and Procurement Plan FY 2020/2021, contrary to Section 44(2)(a) of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act,” said the ODPP
The fraud, according to the prosecution, was committed between December 29, 2020 and 30th June 2021.
Koria had earlier denied procurement irregularities amounting to Sh8.6 million and was released on a bond of Kshs 5 million.