Former KPC boss Tanui denies abuse of office charges – KBC

Former Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Managing Director Charles Tanui alongside two other ex-managers have denied abuse of office charges related to the irregular award of a Ksh30 million tender for the installation of autotransformers.

Tanui, Elias Karumi KPC’s former Chief Manager-Technical and Josphat Sirma- former Chief Electrical Engineer are facing abuse of office charges as well as failing to comply with procurement rules in awarding the contract to Redline Limited.

They were arrested on Wednesday by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers over allegations of abuse of office, making a false document and willful failure to comply with laws relating to procurement.

EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak said investigations revealed the trio were answerable for the irregular payment to a firm (Redline Limited) for supplies that were never installed in 2014.

EACC says the money in question was paid using false documents and the items were never installed, tested or commissioned.

The trio appeared Thursday before Anti-corruption court Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti for plea taking.

They were each released on a Ksh 700,000 cash bail or a Ksh 3 million bond. The suspects have also been ordered to deposit their passports in court.

The prosecution is required to disclose evidence by close of business Friday and also file a proper inventory by next week 20th.

The pre-trial will be held on 3rd August.

Tanui is accused of failing to comply with rules relating to procurement by authorizing the payment to Redline Limited for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of auto-transformers without a contract.

“On 18′” February 2014 at the Kenya Pipeline Company offices in Industrial Area within Nairobi City County, being the Managing Director of the Kenya Pipeline Company willfully failed to comply with the law relating to procurement… by authorizing payment of Euros 261,070.42 to Redline Limited for the supply, installation and commissioning of line 2 station autotransformer (3 no)without a written and signed contract”, reads the charge.

Former company chief engineer Josphat Kipkoech Sirma is accused of making a false certificate of completion to show that Redline Ltd had completed installation of auto-transformers at Kenya Pipeline headquarters.