A woman accused of conspiring to steal over Sh40million from Kenyatta National Hospital pretending to supply specialty gases in the surgery department has been charged before court.
Maureen Martha Onguko was alleged that on June 12, 2023, at First Community Bank jointly with others yet to be arrested, conspired to defraud Kenyatta National Hospital of Sh40,666,355.
She was also charged with stealing Sh5,542,758, the property of Kenyatta National Hospital by falsely pretending to be the owner of Mobile Gases International Limited that supplies surgical gas to the health facility.
She is said to have committed the offence on May 18, 2023.
Onguko was further charged with forging a bank statement at Equity Bank showing a transaction of Sh10 million purporting it to have been issued by the bank.
She faced another charge of forging a notification of award for a contract to supply medical gas mixtures and specialty gases in the surgery department at KNH for Sh5.5 million.
Onguko appeared before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Esther Kimilu and denied the charges.
Through her lawyer, she pleaded for lenient bond terms saying she was not even medically fit to stand trial.
Earlier, Onguko had pleaded with the court to defer the plea but he prosecution opposed.
The DPP said she failed to supply a medical report of the suspect indicating her medical condition hence the application is based on hearsay.
The court ruled that there was lack of sufficient evidence to prove she was medically unfit to stand trial.
The magistrate remanded the accused until Monday, September 11, when the trial court will give directions on her bail application.
