NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 10 – Former Gatundu North Member of Parliament Patrick Muiruri on Thursday stunned the High Court when he admitted he paid Sh2.1 million to have illegal money printed for him ahead of the 2007 general election.
Mr Muiruri who was being questioned in an election petition, told the court that he parted with the money to purchase paper and chemicals to make an estimated Sh30 million in the black market.
He told the court that he paid a Mr Moses Oyondi the money after he claimed he worked for money printing firm De La Rue and knew how money was minted.
He said Mr Oyondi convinced him, his wife and Personal Assistant that the special chemical would turn plain paper into legal tender.
But Mr Muiruri said the deal went sour after Mr Oyondi disappeared with his Sh2.1 million and never delivered his fortune.
He made the revelation as he was being cross-examined by lawyer Evans Ondiek who is representing the sitting MP Clement Waibara in the petition. A voter Bernard Chege is challenging Mr Waibara\’s election as the MP for Gatundu North.
The election petition has been marked by strange revelations.
On Tuesday, a voter in Gatundu North caused a stir when he confessed that he sat a proficiency test on behalf of Mr Waibara.
Martin Ndungu told Justice Fred Ochieng that the MP pleaded with him to sit the language test, which is mandatory before one is allowed to vie for the position of MP.
Mr Ndungu told the court that he sat for the exam and passed with flying colours scoring 23 out of possible 25 marks and the panel didn\’t raise any query and he was cleared to vie and a certificate was issued.
He later took the certificate to the lawmaker.
The voter told the court that the issue had been haunting him since 2007 and he has since realised that he has committed a crime and offended the people of Gatundu.
He pleaded with the court to pardon him and said that he believed that Mr Waibara was not eligible to be an MP.
Mr Ndungu also denied that he was paid or promised something to come up with such an allegation.
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