Former NITA Director General finally takes plea in corruption charges
6:6:2024: Paul Kipsang Kosgei, the former Director General of National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) has finally taken plea today in the procurement related fraud charges before Hon. Zipporah Gichana of the Anti-Corruption Court in Milimani.
Mr. Kosgei is the first accused in a case in which the current Director General of NITA, Stephen Ogenga, two directors of a private limited company, and the company itself are charged with various counts of abuse of office, and fraudulent acquisition of public property. His co-accused were arrested over the last weekend of May and were arraigned on Monday 3rd before Hon. Gichana where they pleaded not guilty.
He had failed to appear in court alongside his co-accused on account of bad health coupled with short notice to appear. Hon. Gichana postponed his plea taking to today and instructed his counsel, who was in court to ensure that the accused appears in person to plead to the charges.
The former Nita Director General is charged with abuse of office. The Court was told that between Jan 31st and March 29th 2019 he, as Director General of NITA, improperly conferred a benefit of Kes5,388,410 to Xponix Ltd by authorizing payments to the said company in respect to tender No. NITA/12/2017-2018 for the supply, delivery, installation, commissioning, training, servicing, maintenance and repair of sewing and training machines.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was given similar bond terms to those earlier given to his co-accused of Kes3 million bond with a surety of similar amount or Kes1 million cash bail. He paid the cash bail and will appear for first mention together with his co-accused on June 19.
