NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 – The Nairobi Anti-Corruption Court has convicted a former ICT Assistant at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), for fraudulently acquiring public funds amounting to Sh7,123,963 using a forged academic certificate.The judgment was delivered by the Nairobi Anti-Corruption Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki, who found Lawrence Masinde Barasa, guilty on three counts relating to the fraudulent acquisition of public property, uttering a false document, and deceiving a principal.The court heard that Barasa had forged a Diploma in Information Technology certificate purportedly issued by the Eldoret Polytechnic, which he used to secure employment at NCWSC. Through this position, he unlawfully obtained over Sh7.1 million in salaries and benefits.In his ruling, Justice Ondieki fined Barasa Sh100,000 for the first count of fraudulent acquisition of public property and imposed a mandatory fine of Sh14,347,926, equivalent to twice the amount illegally obtained, as provided for under the law.In default of paying these fines, Barasa will serve a total of two years’ imprisonment.On the second count of forgery, the accused was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.However, he was convicted on the third count of uttering a false document and fined Sh100,000 or serve one year in prison in default.“Under Count III, the Accused is sentenced to pay a fine of Kshs. 100,000, default of which he shall serve a term of imprisonment of one year,” the court ruledFor the fourth count of deceiving a principal, Barasa was similarly fined Sh100,000, with a default sentence of one year’s imprisonment.The court directed that all default sentences would run consecutively.Barasa has 14 days to appeal the sentence.