NAIROBI, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's cabinet secretary for Treasury Henry Rotich on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to corruption charges after being arrested over a 65 billion shillings (650 million U.S. dollars) project to build two dams.
Rotich, who appeared before Nairobi Magistrate Douglas Ogoti alongside two principal secretaries Kamau Thugge of the Treasury and Susan Jemtai Koech of the East African Community, was charged with several counts including conspiracy to defraud the public, willful neglect to perform official duty, failure to comply with guidelines relating to procurement of insurance policy through single sourcing, committing an offence of financial misconduct and abuse of office among others.
The two Treasury officials were among 28 individuals implicated in the two dams scandal.
Rotich and Thugge were released on a bond of 500,000 dollars or 150,000 dollars cash bail after being charged over Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal. Koech was released on 60,000 dollars bail with an option of 300,000 dollars bond.
In his ruling, the magistrate barred Rotich and his co-accused from accessing their work places which he termed as scenes of crime.
The magistrate warned the suspects against tampering with evidence in any form or approaching witnesses in the case.
The arrest on Monday of Rotoch marked the first time a sitting minister of finance held on corruption charges.
Noordin Haji, Director of Public Prosecution, said Rotich, Thugge and 25 other government officials were mandated to safeguard public interest since they flouted many procurement rules and circumvented to ensure Italian firm CMC di Ravenna got the project.
