A former head of the National Council of Non-Governmental Organizations accused of stealing Sh11.79 million in donor monies has blamed his current problems on a deceased cabinet secretary, William ole Ntimama.
Dr Simon Sagana Kanani alleged in a sworn defense before Milimani law courts senior resident magistrate Ben Mark Enkubi that the late King of the Maa community wanted someone from his community to lead the NGO organization.
Dr Kanani denied stealing Sh11,793,453 from the organization and blamed Ntimama and a former PS for organizing a coup to depose him as chair of the NGO’s Kenyan body.
Dr Kanani, who succeeded the late Orie Rogo Manduli, stated that “a coup was staged in a nefarious scheme to get me.”
Led by Prof Elisha Ongoya in his defence and cross-examined by a state prosecutor Virginia Kariuki, Dr Kanani insisted that no money was stolen since all the expenditure was authorized by the board.
Dr Kanani is charged alongside lawyer Lucas Chacha Matiko, a former treasurer of the organization and the chairman of an air company Philip Chris Obure.
In their sworn defences Dr Kanani, Matiko and Obure told the trial magistrate that “they ran the organization in a most professional manner which attracted heavy donor funding.”
The magistrate heard that the deceased minister was drumming up support for David ole Konchellah to ascend to the leadership of the National Council of NGO’s.
Mr Enkubi heard that ole Ntimama mooted for the removal of the entire board of the NGO national council and replacing them with members from the Maa community.
The accused persons who have denied theft and conspiracy to defraud the NGO’s told the trial court that they were framed since all the monies received to fund NGOs was properly used across the country.
“We committed no wrong. We were arrested and charged for theft and conspiracy to defraud irregularly. There is no evidence to prove the cases against us.Free us,” Sagana, Matiko and Obure urged Mr Enkubi
The magistrate was urged the court to ashame the prosecution by acquitting them.
Mr Enkubi was further told that the case was investigated by a police officer named as ole Sunkuli who did not even visit the offices of the NGO council.
