It is a major reprieve for former National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) Chief Executive Richard Kerich and four others after an Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi freed them in a Ksh116.9 million graft case for lack of evidence.
In a judgement rendered by Milimani Chief Magistrate Eunice Nyutu on Friday, November 3, 2023, the court acquitted Kerich and his co-accused persons of the allegations of defrauding the NHIF Ksh116.9 million after finding that the prosecution did not prove all the five corruption charge levelled against them.
“After evaluating the voluminous evidence and documents tender in court by all parties l find that the Prosecution has failed to establish a prima facie case against Kerich and the other accused persons including Meridian Medical Centre directors Peter Wambugu and Ndiba Wairioko and former NHIF officials Marwa Chacha and David Chingi. They are therefore acquitted under section 210 of the CPC,” Magistrate Nyutu ruled.
In the case that has been pending for a decade in court, the Prosecution had called 39 witnesses to prove the case.
The five accused persons were charged in connection with the provision of a medical scheme for civil servants and disciplined services awarded to Meridian Medical Centre Ltd at a cost of Ksh116.9 million.
The Director of Public Prosecutions had asked the trial court to find the accused guilty of several graft charges of conspiracy to defraud, abuse of office, wilful failure to comply with the law applicable to procurement and obtaining money by false pretences.
