This archive report was first published on 3 August 2019.
Published on August 3, 2019, a lawsuit has been filed against Governor Ali Hassan Joho and Kirinyaga Woman Rep Purity Ngirici over a Sh6 million debt owed to an airline company.
Business Aircraft Management Ltd, which operates as Flex Air Charters, is demanding Sh2,534,768 and Sh3,886,387 from Joho and Ngirici respectively.
The debt is related to helicopter services hired by the two in 2016 for different purposes. Joho's flight was part of a trip to attend a Chris Brown concert in Mombasa, while Ngirici hired the chopper for campaigns during the 2017 general election.
According to court papers filed through lawyer Donald Kipkorir, Joho authorised two payments of Sh1.9 million which were banked directly to Flex Air's account at the Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) on October 12, 2016, and on October 26, 2016.
However, Flex Air is seeking the payment for flying the governor to Mombasa from Wilson Airport between October 7 to October 17, 2016.
Andrew Ndaisi, in a sworn affidavit in support of the claim, says the county boss agreed to pay the hiring fees to Flex Air for use of aircraft AS 350 B3 but is yet to honour.
“The chief pilot flew and operated the aircraft, did the rotational flying and delivered its work pursuant to the agreement,” the lawyer states in his plaint.
