A court has declined prosecution’s request to use payment invoices in a case where Garissa Governor Nathif Jama and six other County officials are being charged over corruption charges and misuse of public funds.

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Senior Magistrate Cosmas Maundu declined to allow the prosecution to use payment invoices as a basis for questioning governor Jama and six former Tender Committee members over irregular ambulance leasing.

Magistrate Maundu while making his decision said the invoices authenticity was questioned by the head of Emergency Plus during her testimony and therefore cannot be admitted as exhibits.

Prosecutor Omondi Opondo had earlier asked the court to allow the prosecution to recall the head of Emergency Plus to verify the details.

This is after EACC financial analyst Timothy Wahome asked the court to allow the prosecution to use the payment invoices saying they had depended on the documents to approximate the total amount of the Sh70 million deal that is under investigations.

The defence however opposed the request arguing that the analyst should not answer to questions on or verify the details in the documents because the EACC is not the original author.

Mr Jama and the six officials are accused of failing to comply with procurement procedures in a contract with the Kenya Red Cross Society’s Emergency Plus to lease seven ambulances in 2014.

The other accused are Rahma Dekow, Jawahir Keinan, Abdi Sahal, Safia Mohamed, Mohamed Hassan and Mohamud Hassan Mohamed.

The case will be heard on May 25.