Transport Chief Administrative Secretary Chris Obure has a case to answer in the Ksh1.2 billion scandal.
The trial Magistrate found him with a case to answer in the Anglo Leasing graft charges involving procurement of VSAT satellite for Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK).
Obure and other former government officials charged alongside him have been found with a case to answer and have been placed on their defense after the court agreed that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against them.
"After evaluating the evidence on record. I find that the state has established a prima facie case against all the accused persons in the case," Magistrate Anne Mwangi ruled.
Obure was appointed into the Cabinet in 2018 by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development.
The Anglo Leasing scandal involved 18 state security contracts. In the scandal, the government entered a finance, lease and suppliers’ credit agreements to pay for forensic facilities, security equipment and support services for various defense units.
In the process, the agreements were bloated and contracts not executed, becoming one of the major scandals that saw the country lose billions of shillings.
The scandal involved then Ministry of Administration and Internal Security at the Office of the President, Kenya Police Department - which was the user department under the Ministry of Internal Security, the Ministry of Finance, office of the Attorney General - which gave the legal opinion of both the contract agreement and the contractual money paid through facility promissory notes, the Registrar of Companies and Mutual Legal assistant
Among top individuals who were grilled regarding the scandal include former Security Minister Chris Murungaru, his the Permanent Secretary David Mwangi, Chief Finance Officer John Akili Alawa, the late Francis Karunya Mwenda (from the finance department), and Jisuka Mohammed Zala.
Others were late former Finance Minister David Mwiraria and former Debt Management boss, David Onyonka, among others.
From the AG's office, those who recorded statements include former AG Amos Wako, then Deputy AG Dorcas Achapa and former state counsel, Dan Ameo.
From the Central Bank of Kenya, former Deputy Governor, Jacinta Mwatela, and John Pichela, were also questioned.
Officials from the National Police Service were also mentioned in the case with EACC making strides to prosecute those involved.
