Witness admits he got extra refund in Sh1.1b Mandago case

A witness lined up to testify in the Sh1.1 billion Canada and Finland education programme case has admitted that he was refunded extra money by a college.

William Ayabeyi told Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege that he was given back over Sh1.2 million, despite only paying Sh1.072 million.

Ayabeyi testified in the case facing Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and two county government officials Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei.

According to Ayabeyi, he paid fees for his daughter Purity Jerop between October 24, 2022, and March 3, 2023. She was to leave for Canada in April, 2023.

"I paid a total of Sh1.07 million for my daughter to study a Nursing course in Sternberg College in Canada. She received the acceptance letters on February 11, 2023," he said.

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Ayabeyi, who was a prosecution witness, could not explain what his case was against Mandago and his co-accused persons.

At first, the retired civil servant denied that he had been refunded until he was shown evidence of refund. Ayabeyi admitted that he was refunded the full amount plus some extra amount. He did not, however, tell the exact amount he was paid but said it was over Sh1.2 million.

According to Ayabeyi, he was initially asked for Sh650,000 but he was later informed that he was to pay Sh1.072 million.

He was unable to explain why he was refunded and other parents who had applied for the refunds had not gotten any response.

Mandago, Rono and Lelei face 10 counts of conspiracy, theft, abuse of office, and forgery in the alleged embezzlement of money deposited by parents in the county’s trust fund account.

The three allegedly conspired to steal the money from a bank in Eldoret between March 1, 2021 and September 12, 2022.

Mandago also faces three charges of abuse of office when he was the Uasin Gishu governor.

Rono and Lelei are accused of stealing Sh56.5 million from KCB Eldoret Branch between June. 2021 and September 12, 2022.

The case proceeds on Wednesday.