Detectives want Kabura charged with lying under oath

Josephine Kabura, who is linked to the theft on NYS funds, before a Nairobi court on October 4, 2016 where she was charged with money laundering. PHOTO | PAUL WAWERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Investigations by DCI’s deputy director of investigations, Mr Joseph Ashimala, showed that Ms Kabura’s assertions in her affidavit were false.
  • In her affidavit Ms Kabura had stated that Mr Mugwanja and Mr Sautet received the colossal amount in order to cover-up material evidence involving fraud at NYS.

The National Youth Service scandal took a new twist after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations recommended additional charges against Josephine Kabura, the woman who sensationally claimed that government officials were involved in a cover-up of the scam.

The DCI now says that Ms Kabura lied under oath when she claimed that then head of Banking Fraud Unit Joseph Mugwanja and Corporal Jeremiah Sautet had received Sh80 million on instructions from then Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru.

She will also be charged with lying under oath that she did not spend the night at Kileleshwa police station on July 20, last year.

The claims by Ms Kabura were contained in an explosive affidavit she filed in court in February.

“As per the investigations, it has come out that the said Josephine Kabura Irungu did lie on oath and subsequently do recommend her to be charged with false swearing C/Sec 114 of the Penal Code and the two officers be cleared of any wrongdoing,” says John Kariuki, head of investigations at DCI headquarters.

Investigations by DCI’s deputy director of investigations, Mr Joseph Ashimala, showed that Ms Kabura’s assertions in her affidavit were false.

In her affidavit Ms Kabura had stated that Mr Mugwanja and Mr Sautet received the colossal amount in order to cover-up material evidence involving fraud at NYS.

She said she gave the money on July 9 last year to the two individuals on instructions from Ms Waiguru.

NO SAFE

In his report, Mr Ashimala said investigations showed that Ms Waiguru did not issue such instructions.

“A team of investigators led by IP Alexander Makau visited Ms Kabura’s office with a view to establishing whether there is a safe that could accommodate Sh80,000,000 as alleged by her.

"They did not find any safe in the office situated on 3rd floor room 309 at Pioneer House, off Tom Mboya Street. Instead they found two tables and four chairs.

"The main table had a computer and printer. There was a steel cabinet and four locks secured with a steel bar and a padlock,” says Mr Ashimala.

He adds such an office could not host such a huge amount of money and furthermore it would have probably required a big motor vehicle, probably a canter, to carry such a big amount of cash.

He adds that her personal account did not show a transfer of the said amount.

Mr Hassan Noor Hassan, a senior Devolution ministry official, also denied giving Ms Kabura an LPO or having had any meetings with her.

On her assertion that she did not spend the night at Kileleshwa police station but she was instead allowed to go home and come back in the morning, Mr Ashimala said investigations showed otherwise.

“Police investigation analysed various records, reports and witness statements from the facts on record, Josephine Kabura Irungu was in cells and spent the night at Kileleshwa police station on the material date and time contrary to her affidavit that she was not there,” concludes Mr Ashimala.