Busia Governor Ojaamong denies fraud charges, claims he actually saved county Ksh.17M

The defense hearing of Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong entered its second day with the governor saying that no money was lost in the Ksh.8 million solid waste management project.

While defending himself, the Governor submitted that the county saved at least Ksh.17 million in the said project, adding that the county government did its level best to ensure it gets value for money.

“Instead of subjecting the county to Ksh.25 million we used Ksh.8 million. So we saved the county unnecessary expenses…we saved the county Ksh.17 million,” said Ojaamong.

Ojaamong said that had the county government undertaken the project alone, the county would have spent over Ksh.15 million to deal with the same solid waste management, adding that feasibility study alone in their procurement plans would have spent Ksh.10 million.

According to the Governor, Madam-R Enterprises, the company which carried out the feasibility study of the project, spent close to Ksh.50 million saying that the company conferred a loss and not a benefit.

“Madam-R Enterprises had the big picture of Busia County and she was not eyeing the Ksh.8 million that has brought us to this court,” he added.

He denied all the four charges leveled against him among them abuse of office and conspiracy to defraud the County Government.

Ojaamong was put on his defence after the court ruled that he has a case to answer.

The Busia Governor told the court that he is fighting and defending himself against an imaginary accuser.

According to him, he has never seen his accuser or the letter accusing him of any wrongdoing in connection with the Ksh.8 million graft case.

“They say the person who complained that money was lost was anonymous and through a letter, even the anonymous letter was not produced. I’m defending myself against an anonymous accuser,” the court was told.

On Wednesday, he 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 Ojaamong.

His first witness has since taken to the stand to defend him.