The National Coordinator of Bunge La Mwananchi, Mr. Rodgers Mwololo has been convicted on two counts of receiving a bribe and fined a total of Sh250, 000 or 12 months imprisonment in default.
Bunge La Mwananchi is an amorphous group that brings together people of all life stations to openly debate pressing current issues in the society – their discussions generally revolve around governance issues affecting the masses.
Mr. Mwololo faced three charges all on soliciting and receiving of a bribe. The court heard that on diverse dates, the accused had blackmailed Mr. Lucas Monata Sameta for money on account of a sexual scandal he purportedly had on him.
In count 1, the court heard that the accused requested for a benefit of Sh250, 000 from Mr. Sameta on November 27, 2018 at the Grand Quality Hotel in Nairobi failure to which he would contact the media on purported sexual harassment complaints by Mr. Sameta’s staff at St. Mary’s Clinic in Umoja Estate, Nairobi.
The national coordinator of Bunge La Mwananch was also charged in count 2 with requesting for Sh150, 000 from the complainant at the same venue on December 3, 2018, with similar threats and on count 3, with receiving a financial benefit of Sh100, 000 from the complainant on December 3, 2018 at the same venue. Chief Magistrate Mr. Felix Kombo convicted him on the last two counts and fined him Sh150, 000 and Sh100, 000 respectively or 1-year imprisonment in default.
Fraud suspects arrested
Elsewhere, five out of the seven procurement fraud suspects arrested yesterday were today arraigned in an Anti-Corruption Court in Bungoma. Three of the five were Bungoma County tender evaluation committee members including Bramwel Maelo, Susan Mmboyi and Wycliffe Makanga, and Director of M/s Fastec General Supplies, Sandra Soita Nasambu and her employee, George Biffan Wekesa.
The five took plea in respect to charges of of irregularities in procurement and award of Tender No. BGM/CNTY/RPW/RMLF/OT/51/2018-2019 for periodic maintenance of Chebosi – Wanelopi – Kituni Road in Bungoma County. The tender was awarded by the County Government of Bungoma to Fastec General Supplies in FY 2018/2019 at a sum of Sh5,742,870.
They all entered a plea of not guilty and were issued a Sh2 million bond each or Sh1 million cash bail each. The remaining two suspects have promised to present themselves at EACC Bungoma offices tomorrow for processing.
