Barchok and county contractor face Sh2 million graft charges

Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok was on Tuesday charged with alleged conflict of interest and acquiring Sh2 million as proceeds of crime.

Barchok was charged alongside Evans Kipkoech and Chemasus Construction. The governor allegedly indirectly acquired a private interest worth Sh2 million from a tender to maintain Kimenderit-Kotoibek-Olbutyo Bridge Road, which Bomet County Government issued.

According to the State, this allegedly happened between November 14, 2019 and March 10, 2021.

“Between November 14, 2019 and March 10, 2021, at an unknown place within the Republic of Kenya, being the Governor of the County Government of Bomet, you knowingly acquired an indirect private interest, to wit Sh2 million in respect of contract emanating from Tender Number C6B/KRB /006/2019-2020 Routine Maintenance of Kimenderit Kotoibek - Olbutyo Bridge Road and Tender Number CGBIDRPWT/OO4 /2018/2019 Hire of grader awarded to Chemasus Construction Limited by the County Government of Bomet,” the first charge read in part.

They denied the charges. In the second count, the governor was accused of acquiring proceeds of crime.

He is alleged to have acquired Sh2 million from Chemasus on or about March 10, 2021.

According to the prosecution, the money was received irregularly. The prosecution, led by Senior Assistant DPP Vincent Monda, claimed there is a reason to believe it was proceeds of crime.

The governor faced a third count of use of proceeds of crime as he allegedly transacted Sh314,000 from his account held at Equity Bank. He was also accused of separately transacting Sh100,000 and Sh750,000 while allegedly knowing they were illegal money.

In the seventh count, he, alongside Kipkoech and Chemasus, was charged with money laundering. They were accused of making a deal to transact Sh2 million from the county in the name of Chemasus, then Kipng’eno to allegedly conceal the source.

In response, Barchok’s lawyer Issa Mansour told Milimani Anti-Corruption Court magistrate Zipporah Gichana that his client had fully complied with the investigators and had actually jetted into the country to appear before court.

“The accused herein cut short his overseas trip and flew back to Kenya to face justice after learning from the media that the anti-graft body had summoned him to record a statement and plead to charges,” argued Mansur.

On the other hand, Kipkoech’s lawyer Julius Onyoka asked the court to factor in that he is a peasant farmer from Kericho. He alleged that his client was hopping from a boda boda to another to get to the EACC offices.

Barchok was released on a Sh5 million cash bail or Sh15 million bond.