Top officials blamed for embassy land scam

The reappointment of Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula came under scrutiny yet again after a new report blamed top ministry officials for the Sh1.4 billion Tokyo embassy land scam. (READ: Embassies scam: The Sh2.5bn question)

Contents of the report by former Controller and Auditor General Anthony Gatumbu blaming top officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry were leaked to the press on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga is expected to justify the reinstatement of Mr Wetang’ula and permanent secretary Thuita Mwangi in Parliament on Wednesday.

The Kenya National Audit Office has also questioned why Sh1.3 billion was paid in cash, contrary to procurement rules.

“This mode of payment, as would be expected, materially weakened the transaction trail,” Mr Gatumbu said in the report dated January 2011.

Members of the parliamentary Defence and Foreign Relations Committee were yesterday studying the report as they prepared to challenge Mr Odinga’s statement on the reinstatement of Mr Wetang’ula and Mr Mwangi.

The two stepped aside last year after the purchase of the embassy land in Tokyo was questioned.

The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission questioned the two over the scandal and it is not clear whether they were cleared of the allegations.

The PM and House Speaker Kenneth Marende are expected to address the controversial reinstatement of the two on Wednesday, despite pending investigations in the embassy scandal.

The auditors proposed further investigations into the purchase and the fire that gutted the embassy in February last year.