Jared Otieno Owi, who previously served as an accountant at the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Migori branch, appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Naomi Wairimu on Monday, March 17, 2025.
Owi faced ten charges, including conspiracy to defraud, forgery, and abuse of office.
According to court documents, he allegedly committed these crimes between January 12 and November 19, 2024, while managing funds for the Migori Teachers Children Education Fund scheme.
The prosecution claims that he fraudulently issued forged cheques and misused his position for personal gain.
One of the main accusations against Owi is that he presented forged cheques to Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) and Cooperative Bank.
These cheques, investigators claim, bore signatures falsely representing the approval of the Migori Teachers Children Education Fund signatories.
Additionally, Owi is accused of illegally transferring funds to two entities, Awendo Books and Stationery and an individual named Churchil Owuor.
He allegedly deposited KSh 329,200 and KSh 573,600, respectively, under false claims that they were members of a SACCO.
The court heard that Owi was not alone in the fraudulent activities.
One of his co-accused, Elisha Ochieng’, appeared before the court on Friday, March 14, and admitted to defrauding KNUT of KSh 909,820.
The funds had reportedly been deposited into his account by the church elder.
Meanwhile, authorities have issued arrest warrants for seven more suspects believed to have been involved in the financial scheme.
The prosecution has lined up at least five witnesses to testify against Owi and his associates.
Owi pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on a bond of KSh 1 million with a surety of KSh 500,000.
The court set March 19, 2025, as the mention date for the case.
The allegations against Owi have sparked mixed reactions within the SDA community in Migori, as many struggle to reconcile the accusations with his role as a church elder.
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