BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
THE former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development Henry Murray testified in court yesterday.
Mr Murray and his wife are accused of fraudulent activities, and defence began their turn yesterday after prosecution finished with theirs.
Murry had been with the MID for more than 20 years; he started working there as an apprentice and made his way up through to the permanent secretary post till his termination in November 2017.
“I was appointed as Director Mechanical Division for four years and in 2014 I resigned and when the PS post was advertised in 2015 I applied and was shortlisted with other candidates,” Murray told the court.
After all interviews were made he then was appointed on August 31, 2015 for the PS post of MID.
He told the court yesterday during examination when his defence lawyer questioned him about the business Krash Transport and Marketing and he said that it is a registered family business like any other family owned businesses and has been involved in hiring its vehicles with Government.
Murray also confirmed that he is one of the Directors of that business, and later in 2016 he transferred that directorship to Soni Aife.
The Murrays were charged in relation to an allegation relating to a series of offences alleged between 2014 and 2017 in relation to multiple payments of motor vehicle hire charges to a company that police alleged was registered to Murray and his wife.
The value of those payments is estimated to the excess of 1.1 million dollars, and as a result of that they both face a range of serious charges.
Prosecution alleged that those payments were allegedly made through cheques and electronic fund transfers, which were deposited into their ANZ account in the name of Krash Transport and Marketing.
Lazarus Kwaiga of L & L lawyers is representing both defendants.
