NSSF told to provide Sh662m pay records

The Ministry of Labour has threatened to request a forensic audit of controversial payments from the public pension fund.

It is also reported to have called for corruption investigations into the hundreds of millions of shillings that he National Social Security Fund (NSSF) paid out in controversial Moi era transactions.

The fund has in the past year paid at least Sh1.4 billion for old contracts against which either no work or no complete work was done. Payments were made after arbitration.

In a letter to Acting NSSF managing trustee Tom Odongo, the ministry has asked the fund to provide documents relating to the Sh662 million paid for a project in Kitisuru, Nairobi, which was never completed.

Specifically, the pension fund has been asked in the letter dated March 16 to provide documents to support the agreement to pay the sub-contractors directly and details of sub-contracts relating to two firms, whose records are missing at the Registrar of Companies.

The two firms are Liteline Enterprises Limited and Speedwings Limited who were paid Sh20 million and Sh121 million, respectively.

The ministry is asking for the documents to answer a question in Parliament relating to the payments.

“As you are aware, the Ministry in liaison with the fund responded to the question in Parliament on 6th March 2012 and again 13th March 2012. Parliament has asked for additional information on the matter to fill some gaps in the answer,” the letter reads in part.

If the documents are not provided, the ministry threatens, to request other government agencies to undertake a forensic audit.

On Monday, ministry sources claimed a letter had been written to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission asking them to investigate the payments. The letter will allegedly be delivered on Tuesday.