Waititu grilled for more than 8 hours by EACC.
Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu
was yesterday questioned for more than eight hours by the EACC in connection
with Sh 588 million paid to firms suspected to be linked to close allies and
family members.
The investigators have zeroed in
on payments made by the Kiambu county government through 55 bank accounts and
re-routed to third party beneficiaries in what is suspected to be massive money
laundering schemes.
According to the Ethics and
Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigators, huge sums of money were
withdrawn in cash, through cheque payments and electronic wire transfer.
“Preliminary investigations show
the contractors paid monies to senior county officials, their companies or
relatives through proxies,” said EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak.
The commission is also
investigating suspect acquisition of public funds, conflict of interest and
money laundering.
Fifteen people including the
governor, members of his family, county employees and people believed to be his
proxies operating contractual and supply firms are under the radar of
anti-graft sleuths.
Waititu and his Chief Officer for
Finance Faith Njeri Harrison have so far been granted anticipatory bail by
Kiambu Senior Resident Magistrate Brian Khaemba, an order which barred barring
their arrest.
“They are being grilled as a
matter of procedure. No one will be detained. There is already a court
anticipatory bail for the governor in force. We don’t intend to contravene
that,” EACC Corporate Affairs manager Yassin Amaro said.
After the session, Waititu
reiterated his innocence, saying no money has been looted under his watch and
that he runs a real estate company where he and his daughter Monica Njeri
Ndung’u are signatories.
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