Anti-Corruption Court Magistrate Felix Kombo ruled that the prosecution proved beyond doubt that Juma Mwatata Mwangala did not comply with procurement regulations/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 28 – A former Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund has been fined Sh1 million or serve six months in jail for irregularly awarding a tender to supply automated hatcheries.
Anti-Corruption Court Magistrate Felix Kombo ruled that the prosecution proved beyond doubt that Juma Mwatata Mwangala did not comply with procurement regulations.
He explained that he used his office to improperly confer a benefit on Comnete Technologies Ltd of Sh208,530,000 for supply, delivery and installation of 1,050 hatching machines without the requisite approval of the Corporation’s Board.
He stated that Mwangala also used his influence to pay the supplier before advance payment bond was made to the Youth Fund.
The magistrate however acquitted him of two other counts of engaging in a project without prior planning and failure to comply with the laws relating to management of public funds due to lack of sufficient evidence.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) conducted investigations into alleged irregularities in the purchase of the hatcheries.
The investigations revealed the purchase of hatcheries was not approved and that the project also became a white elephant project because a feasibility study was not conducted.
Upon conclusion of investigations, EACC recommended that Mwangala be charged.
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