Obado gave Ksh.2.7 Billion tender to family members, court told

Obado and his wife Christine Akingi Ochola, as well as their four children Dan Achola, Scarlet Susan, Jerry Zachary, and Evelyn Odhiambo, are accused of attempting to defraud the county government.

His mother Penina Auma, brothers Joram and Patroba Otieno, and sister-in-law Carolyne Ochola, as well as his business partner Jared Oluoch, are all named in the case.

The investigator, Robert Cheruiyot Rono, told the court on Tuesday that most of the 22 companies awarded the tenders are owned by six of Obado’s family members.

The prosecution says that part of the millions of shillings was paid back to Obado as kickbacks through his children.

“We analyzed all contracts and payment schedules and discovered that the majority of the companies were owned by the family members. We will provide documentation to show how each of the accused is related to the companies,” Rono told the court, according to The Standard.

According to Rono, EACC has established that the companies in question were registered shortly after Obado got into office in 2013.

An IFMIS payment system which he tabled before the court further showed that the 23 companies were paid the Ksh.2.7 million within the first four years of his tenure.

During a court appearance last week, Obado distanced himself from accusations of acquiring an indirect private interest amounting to Ksh.73,474,376.90 from the county government through his children.

“If any monies were embezzled, fraudulently and illegally obtained from the county government of Migori as alleged, then I was not involved and had no knowledge of such schemes,” said Obado in court papers seen by Citizen Digital.

“I neither took part nor benefited from any such schemes or arrangements and I put EACC to strict proof to prove otherwise.”

The governor further stated that he should not be involved in any queries of how his children acquired the contentious property registered under their names, which EACC argues was obtained by the county boss.

“I am not responsible for the acts or omissions of my grown-up children well past the majority age. It is ludicrous for EACC to heap responsibility on me for things allegedly done by other adult persons, where the only nexus is parenthood,” said Obado.

He further denied any links to businessman Jared Oluoch Kwaga, whom EACC is accusing of stealing money from the government through sham contracts as Obado’s proxy.

Obado’s children reportedly pocketed Ksh.38,949,376.90 to cater for their school fees and upkeep while studying in Australia, Scotland and the United Kingdom, and purchased two high-end vehicles and a house in Lavington.