Corrupt gov’t officer to pay Ksh.16M or spend four years in jail

A former government officer has been fined Ksh.16.7 million after a Nairobi court found him guilty of fraudulently acquiring public funds amounting to Ksh.3.8 million.

Wycliffe Marege Mitema is said to have obtained the money between November 2008 and March 2009 when he served as a District accountant in Makueni.

Anti-Corruption Court Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi ruled that Mr. Mitema will serve a four-year jail term should he fail to pay a fine of Ksh.15 million.

The court further imposed a general sentence in terms of Ksh.1 million fine or one-year imprisonment.

The former accountant also faced a second count of willfully failing to comply with the Government Financial Management Act and was ordered to pay Ksh.500,000 or serve a one-year jail term.

He was discharged on the third count of abuse of office.

The court ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond doubt that Mr. Mitema had unlawfully acquired public funds.

A probe into the said loss of public funds was launched in 2009 after a report by the Makueni District Internal Auditor was referred to the anti-corruption commission.

The accused is said to have fraudulently advanced himself money by failing to submit imprest vouchers as required by the regulations.