The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is now seeking to withdraw graft charges against former Migori Governor Okoth Obado in a plea bargain arrangement over the Ksh505 million graft case.
DPP Renson Ingonga told the court that his office had already entered into a plea bargain agreement with Obado.
However, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) quickly clarified that it had not signed the deal, raising questions on whether the agreement has full backing from all investigating agencies.
The ODPP and EACC had jointly sought a one-month adjournment to allow for the finalisation of ongoing negotiations.
The agencies informed the court that the talks were at an advanced stage, intending to reach an out-of-court settlement through plea bargains.
Initially, the EACC had sought to recover over Ksh1.9 billion from Obado and more than 20 other individuals accused of siphoning funds from the Migori County government through fictitious procurement contracts.
The ongoing talks could see part of these demands settled outside the trial, under the plea bargain.
Meanwhile, the court is expected to issue a ruling on the plea bargain on Friday this week.
Obado has been in court for over four years and has been facing charges of abuse of office, conspiracy to commit an economic crime, money laundering, and unlawful acquisition of public property.
He was also accused of misappropriating amounts estimated at Ksh73 million during his tenure as the county boss.
The former governor, together with 10 others, was first arrested in August 2020 after the ODPP accused them of using 13 companies to siphon money from the Migori County government.
Among those arrested and facing charges are four of the governor's children, believed to have received payments from companies that traded with the County Government of Migori between 2013 and 2017.
