NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 3 – Former National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Kerich has been acquitted in a Sh116 million fraud case involving payments to Meridian Medical Centre.
Kerich was acquitted with four other suspects and according to Trial Magistrate Eunice Nyutu, the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that the money was paid to the medical centre.
She said that NHIF board had properly entered into a contract with the centre and there was no conspiracy between the CEO and the management.
She said out of 39 prosecution witnesses none of them linked the CEO and his co-accused with the offense of conspiracy to defraud and confiring Ksh43M as alleged in the charge sheet.
The procurement process was done within the purview of the law and Meridian Medical centre was among the health centres that qualified during thr pre-qualification stages.
It had health centres in Buruburu, Nation centre, the mall and Kawangware. The meridian medical centre was to cover civil servants and displined forces .
Kerich was charged alongside Marwa Chacha, David Kipruto, Peter Wambugu and Ndiba Wairioko in connection with the loss of the millions meant for civil servants’ medical cover.
