The Director of Public Prosecution has dropped a Sh. 400 million graft case against former Kenya Power boss Ben Chumo and 10 others.
Chumo had been charged alongside Muwa Company Limited and its directors James Njenga Mungai, his wife Grace Wanjira and son, John Anthony Mungai.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested Chumo on suspicion of committing an economic crime and abuse of office in July 2018.
Chumo had retired as the Kenya Power boss in January 2028 after hitting the mandatory age limit of 60 years.
DCI detectives also arrested Beatrice Meso, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs and Company Secretary and the General Manager Regional Co-ordination Peter Mwicigi.
“They are to be charged with offences of conspiring to commit an offence of economic crime namely fraudulent acquisition of public property, aiding commission of a felony, abuse of office, willful failure to comply with the law relating to procurement among other charges,” DCI said.
Chumo was then charged charged in court for wilful failure to comply with procurement procedures.
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He however argued that he did not participate in the procurement process that resulted in the contract dated August 3, 2012, between Kenya Power and Muwa.
At the time, DPP Noordin Haji also ordered DCI to arrest and prosecute 10 top Kenya Power managers, several employees and directors of firms linked to tender supply graft.
The 10 top managers accused of irregularly supplying tenders included Ken Tarus who was then General Manager, Finance, Peter Mungai Kinuthia (General Manager Business Strategy), Joshua Mutua (General Manager Commercial Services) and Abubakar Swaleh (General Manager Human Resource and Administration).
Others include; Samuel Ndirangu (General Manager ICT), Stanley Mutwiri (General Manager Infrastucture Development) and John Ombuyi (General Manager Supply Chain).
The Kenya Power intrigues follows a damning report released in May by the then auditor General Edward Ouko that exposed how companies affiliated to staff bagged multi-billion shilling contracts to undertake emergency repairs on power infrastructure.