Deepak Kamani quizzed over Anglo Leasing

What you need to know:

  • Anglo Leasing type contracts were thrust back into public limelight last month after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered that two of the companies awarded the tenders be paid Sh1.4 billion.
  • Mr Matemu said the commission would also look into the latest claims by Mr Odinga that the government had refused to recover more than Sh17.5 billion frozen by Swiss banks and that it was payment for the dubious contracts.

Anti-corruption detectives Thursday interrogated a businessman whose companies have been linked to Anglo Leasing-type contracts now under investigations after a political storm.

Companies associated with Mr Deepak Kamani, who detectives questioned for more than four hours, won 13 out of the 18 security tenders in which billions of taxpayers’ money was lost.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission chairman Mumo Matemu said that Mr Kamani was summoned with the intention of getting crucial information that would unlock the decade-old investigation.

Anglo Leasing type contracts were thrust back into public limelight last month after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered that two of the companies awarded the tenders be paid Sh1.4 billion.

The decision sparked protests from MPs allied to both the ruling Jubilee Coalition and the Opposition Cord. This week, Cord leader Raila Odinga demanded that the money paid to the two firms be refunded.

And Thursday, Mr Matemu said more people would be interrogated in coming weeks, depending on information gathered.

“We required him to come and have a discussion on the matters we have been investigating. It involves Anglo Leasing. There are other names featuring and we spoke to see if we could get other leads.

“We shall be calling them in the next two weeks regarding what we get from him,” said Mr Matemu from Mombasa.

A fortnight ago, Mr Matemu said anti-corruption authorities were seeking to prosecute five fresh suspects involved in Anglo Leasing contracts.

The charges relate to tenders worth billions which were either outrightly fraudulent or which involved over-valuing of goods sold or services rendered.

Mr Matemu, said that files with recommendations to prosecute will be given to the Director of Public Prosecutions in a few weeks but declined to identify the suspects he had recommended for prosecution. However, they will likely come from a pool of suspects who have previously been named in connection with the dubious transactions that have cost taxpayers billions of shillings.

MASS ACTION

The interrogation of Mr Kamani comes at a time the government is under pressure to demonstrate seriousness in the fight against corruption.

Locally, Cord has threatened mass action unless the Jubilee administration shows there is tangible progress in the fight against graft.

Internationally, Kenya is seeking to borrow money to finance part of its Budget for the next financial year. The country started marketing its Sh135 billion bond to American and European investors on Wednesday ahead of next week’s Budget estimates presentation in Parliament.

Mr Matemu said the EACC sought to establish what role Mr Kamani played in the Anglo Leasing saga.

“We want to hear his thoughts on the controversial contracts as to who signed them according to him, who was bound in the deals among a raft of other issues,” he said.

Mr Matemu said the commission would also look into the latest claims by Mr Odinga that the government had refused to recover more than Sh17.5 billion frozen by Swiss banks and that it was payment for the dubious contracts.

The money was for Anglo Leasing partly paid contracts that were cancelled. The cancelled contracts include the one for a forensic science laboratory for the CID, E-cops/Infotalent, immigration security and document control system and supply of security vehicles for the police.

All these contracts were linked to firms associated with Mr Kamani.

Mr Matemu said investigations would focus on all aspects of the 18 contracts surrounding the Anglo Leasing contracts including; contracts executed fully, partially or not executed.

“The contracts that were executed, how were they carried out? Those that might not have been executed, were monies paid? Who paid them? From where? Where are the monies now? And so on,” the EACC boss pointed out.

Mr Kamani arrived at Integrity Centre — the EACC headquarters — in Nairobi at around 10am and left shortly after 1pm.

He declined to respond to questions from journalists and referred them to his lawyer, Mr Paul Nyamodi, who had accompanied him.

“We responded to the summons and we had cordial interaction. He (Mr Kamani), responded to all the questions,” the lawyer said.

The anti-corruption boss said it was too early to divulge details of the investigations.

Uproar over Anglo-Leasing has arisen in the recent weeks after President Kenyatta authorised payment of Sh1.4 billion to two of the companies associated with Sri-Lanka businessman Annure Pereira, following a lawsuit in Switzerland which the government lost.

Mr Pereira has since demanded an additional Sh 3 billion which he claims the government owes him.