Former Nominated Senator Joy Gwendo on Monday pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud following a plea bargain deal with the DPP.
In the deal, the former legislator has agreed to pay a Kisumu sacco Sh1.7 million, the amount that is the genesis of the case.
The politician pleaded guilty to a count of abuse of office and two others of issuing bad cheques before Anti-Corruption Court chief magistrate Douglas Ogoti.
She admitted that she issued a cheque of Sh300,000 in favour of Kisumu East Cotton Growers Cooperative Society through CFC Stanbic Kivuli’s development initiative’s account yet she knew there were insufficient funds.
Gwendo also admitted issuing another cheque on the same day worth Sh950,000. She faced a third count of abuse of office.
On the abuse of office allegation, the former senator admitted that on October 23, 2016, at Chiga parish in Kisumu, she used her position as a state officer to confer herself Sh2,226,880, money which belonged to the sacco.
She will be sentenced on December 7 after returning the funds.
Gwendo was arrested early this year and charged with five counts of stealing and issuing bad cheques. She was also accused of misusing her office and was released on sh 300,000 bail. The offenses were committed in 2016.
The DPP permitted charges of stealing, issuing bad cheques and abuse of office in respect to Sh2.2 million belonging to members of a cooperative society in Kisumu.
Crime suspects who strike a deal to pay back their victims are normally shielded from harsh sentences. The court, however, retains the discretion to determine the sentence or penalty on the accused after agreeing to the Plea of Agreement.
The politician, who was allowed by the court to settle the amount in four batches, admitted to committing the offence on December 5 at KICC.
Following the agreement, the DPP agreed to withdraw two counts of forgery and stealing that the politician had faced.
Controversial Gwendo
Gwendo has been coated in controversy ever since she was nominated to the senate. in 2016, a video emerged online of her assaulting a woman believed to be her then secretary, Annette Oyuga.
She claimed the secretary was a ‘mole’ and that she (the secretary) attacked her first when she was confronted with the allegations of being disloyal. The video was captured in her office by an unknown person
A clearly infuriated Gwendo shouts at her and a fight ensues. The woman stands up, holds Gwendo and says, “I‘m not those foolish people you beat all the time!”
All this time, Gwendo is overheard in the video shouting, “Get out! Get out!”
The woman shouts back saying, “Let me leave on my own accord. Let me take my things, do not mishandle me.”
Gwendo then snaps back, “Who are you to tell me what to do? Get out! We know we are very stupid and you are very smart!”
Wazir Chacha
Early this year, Gwendo was mentioned as one of the female MPs linked to Wazir Chacha, a young man who leaked raunchy images of himself with former Bomet Women Rep. It was reported that Chacha had had an affair with more than six Mps.