Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong has told the court that no money was lost in the Sh8 million solid management project.
The governor, who took to the stand the second day to defend himself in the corruption case where he is charged alongside eight county officials, told Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti that due procedure was followed in the procurement for the project.
The prosecution had accused the governor of intentionally entering into a memorandum of understanding while in Berlin Germany on April 7, 2014, yet he knew the study had not been budgeted for in the year 2013/2014.
He allegedly entered into the MoU for a feasibility study on solid waste management which was to be carried out by Madam R enterprises even though the firm was not procured procedurally.
The governor was also charged with using his office to improperly confer a benefit by signing the agreement which had not been competitively procured as per Section 2(b) of the Public Procurement Disposal Act 2005.
“Madam R Enterprises spent close to Sh50 million paying the casual workers and coming up with a feasibility study report. We only used Sh8 million to undertake two projects which were planned for in our planning,” Ojaamong said.
“The county government alone undertaking solid waste management in the county would have spent over Sh15 million to deal with waste management in the county and Sh10 million on the feasibility study. Instead of subjecting the county to spend Sh25 million, we used Sh8 million, saving the county expenses of sh 17 million,” he told the court.
