Prosecution tables key investigation documents seized from Obado
9:07:2024: Prosecution witness, Robert Rono, continued with giving evidence in today’s hearing before Chief Magistrate Hon. Victor Wakumile at Milimani, tabling key documents that also brought out the nexus between the former Governor of Migori County, Mr. Zachary Okoth Obado, and his proxy, Jared Odoyo Oluoch Kwaga.
First, the witness testified regarding a search conducted at the residence of Mr Kwaga and tabled various relevant documents to the investigations. These were mainly seven letters written by Cooperative Bank of Kenya’s Regional Manager for Parliament Road and Moi Avenue branches, Nairobi, Richard Misoi, to Mr. Jared Kwaga closing seven accounts for businesses that traded with the County Government of Migori.
Three of the accounts were held in the name of Mr. Kwaga who is also charged alongside Mr. Obado, one in the name of Atina Services, one for Swyfcon Engineering, another for Dolphus Software, and the last one for Joyush Business.
Majorly, however, the witness testified regarding searches conducted in various residences and offices of the former Governor for Migori County vide Miscellaneous Application No. 63 of 2018 and the documents recovered therein relevant to the investigations.
From his official residence in Migori, the witness tabled three key documents. One, a letter of offer for purchase of a town house No. C-1 in Loresho, Nairobi, from Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) Pension Scheme. It was purchased in the name of Jared Kwaga at a cost of Kes34,525,000. Two, a transactional slip by Jared Kwaga showing a deposit of Kes3,450,000 to the KPLC Pension Scheme and, three, a memorandum of Article of Association for Hon. Zachary Okoth Obado Foundation incorporated in 2014. Its subscribers included Jared Kwaga, Samuel Odhiambo, and Grace Olima all listed as business people.
From his residence in Uriri, the Prosecution tabled a Migori County Government Inquiry Report on a fire incident that occurred on 24/09/2017. Also tabled was a handwritten list of 24 varied properties belonging to the Obado family. The list included the KPLC Pension Scheme Loresho house, a not finished 3bedroom house in Uriri; a quarry site and palace making plans on 6 acre land that also had kes20 million worth of equipment in Migori County; blue gum trees farm on 13 acres in North Sakwa; a jaggery plant in North Sakwa; 20acres parcel of land in South Sakwa, a filling station on Awendo/Migori Road; flats of about 20 units nearing completion in Migori; 3 bedroom house in Embakasi, Nairobi; one flat residential house in Umoja Manyanja Road; several vehicles and several parcels of land in Migori County.
The witness made further reference to other documents recovered, amongst them, the County Government of Migori Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Revenue, Development and Recurrent accounts.
He also pointed out to a report on pending bills for Migori County Government as a document recovered in the Governor’s residence in Uriri. The Defence, however, raised a concern that the said report was not similar to the one supplied during disclosure. Upon counter checking with the documents supplied, the Prosecution conceded that indeed there was an issue with the scanning of documents that affected the sequence of that particular report. The matter was adjourned to allow the Defence to be supplied with the sequentially marked document.
The matter is now scheduled for a virtual mention on 1st August, 2024 to confirm if the Defence will have been served with the report in issue and is fixed for further hearing on 11th, 26th and 30th September, 2024.
Hon. Wakumile also dispensed with, at the request of Defence Counsel, physical attendance of accused persons going forward.
