The Anti-Corruption Court sitting in Mombasa has, today, granted an Application by Taita Taveta County Assembly Clerk Gadiel Maganga to defer his plea taking, which was scheduled for today, citing illness. Maganga is facing abuse of office charges relating to fraudulent payments for the Zanzibar bonding trip undertaken by county officials, including 21 MCAs in 2022.

Counsel for EACC and ODPP opposed the Application to defer the plea because the accused person was playing games with the Commission. Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku ordered that the Clerk take plea on 8th April 2024.

The accused had filed two other Applications; one seeking anticipatory bail in the Voi High Court, and another seeking to quash the decision of the ODPP to charge him. 40 witnesses are lined up to testify against the Clerk and his co-accused.

The Clerk faces graft charges alongside Deputy Speaker Anselm Mwadime Chao who has since pleaded not guilty to charges.

The Commission’s investigations established that a total of Kes. 17 million was spent on the trip out of which Kes. 9 million was directly paid to the organizers for logistics while Kes. 8 million was paid as interest to 30 officials, including 21 MCAs.

The Taita Taveta County Assembly used forged documents to account for the fraudulent expenditure. The officials were overpaid while some of those who received allowances did not travel.