Busia Governor Ojaamong denies defrauding county Ksh.8M on foreign trip

Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong has dismissed claims that he conspired to defraud the county government Ksh.8 million.

While defending himself, the governor in an unsworn testimony said he never conspired to commit an offence of economic crime adding that his team never went to Germany for leisure as alleged.

“I never conspired with any of the accused persons to defraud the County Government of Busia the Ksh.8 million,” said Ojammong.

He says that the County Executive consulted stakeholders and the county assembly.

He however wondered how out of the 12 executive members who attended the meeting for the waste project three were listed prosecution witnesses but never testified that there was a plan to conspire the said monies.

“Your honor , I would like to say that the County assembly of Busia approved the allocation of the budget and they knew what the money was going to do , we knew we needed the approval of the elected members of the assembly,” the court was told.

The governor is expected to call four witnesses to defend himself in in the four charges he is facing.

In May this year trial magistrate Douglous Ogoti ruled that Ojamoong and eight others have a case to answer in the 8 million shillings graft case.

Having considered all the evidence tendered by the prosecution the court ruled that a prima facie case has been established against all the accused and they were put on their defence.

In the case, Ojaamong had denied abuse-of-office charges. He was also accused of conspiracy to commit an economic crime and engaging in a project without proper planning.