They will now face trial alongside former Devolution PS Peter Mangiti, ex-NYS senior officials Aden Harakhe and Devolution Ministry tender committee official Hassan Noor who denied similar charges and were released on a cash bail of Sh1 million each/FILE
The trio, Salim Ali, Kennedy Nyamao and Florence Bett presented themselves before Milimani Senior Principal Felix Kombo and denied a charge of conspiracy to commit an economic crime and wilful failure to comply with procurement laws.
The court had issued arrest warrants but lifted them after their lawyers made spirited efforts to convince the court that they had not deliberately defied summons.
They will now face trial alongside former Devolution PS Peter Mangiti, ex-NYS senior officials Aden Harakhe and Devolution Ministry tender committee official Hassan Noor who denied similar charges and were released on a cash bail of Sh1 million each.
Other suspects Betty Njoki Muriithi and Jennifer Muthoni Kinoti, the owners of Blues Star Enterprises limited, the company suspected to have benefited from the proceed are yet to plead to the charges.
The prosecution alleges that the two suspects ,being holders of a bank account , in the name of Blues stars enterprises at Paramount Universal bank, Koinange branch, they fraudulently acquired Sh45,137,931 from the ministry of Devolution.
When they appeared in court on Wednesday, Ali, Nyamao and Bett denied conspiring with their co-accused to commit an economic crime of unlawfully disposing of Sh47.6 million in public funds between December 12, 2014 and September 28, 2015 from the Devolution Ministry to Blues Star.
The prosecution told the court that Ali and Nyamao who were members of the ministerial tendering committee failed to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to procurement by awarding the tender even though a technical evaluation had not been undertaken.
Kombo directed Bett to pay a cash bail of Sh250,000 while Ali was told to deposit Sh750,000 to secure his release.
Nyamao was ordered to deposit Sh500,000 to secure his freedom pending trial.
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