Detectives search Sospeter Ojaamong offices in fraud probe
Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong. He protested a search at his offices and homes by EACC detectives on September 4, 2015. FILE PHOTO |
What you need to know:
At the offices, the heavily guarded officers carted away computers from the office of the governor and the finance and procurement departments.
- The morning raid took most of the employees by surprise as the officers, escorted by six armed police, arrived in two vans and headed straight to the finance office.
They later carried away two computers and some paper documents of an undisclosed nature.
Contacted by Nation.co.ke, Mr Ojaamong described the incident as "unfortunate", adding that it was politically motivated.
Anti-corruption detectives on Friday stormed and ransacked the offices of Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong and his homes over alleged fraud.
At the offices in Busia Town, the heavily guarded officers carted away computers from the office of the governor and the finance and procurement departments.
The morning raid took most of the employees by surprise as the officers, escorted by six armed police, arrived in two vans and headed straight to the finance office and searched through it for over an hour.
They later carried away two computers and some paper documents of an undisclosed nature.
BEDROOM RAID
Contacted by Nation.co.ke, Mr Ojaamong described the incident as "unfortunate", adding that it was politically motivated.
“We have not heard any queries from the auditor-general or Senate. The Public Accounts Committee has given us a clean bill of health,” he said.
“It is shocking that they stormed my houses and turned everything upside down. If there are any issues, I should have been summoned to the Senate or any other investigative agency to explain instead of the officials breaking into bedrooms and offices,” said Mr Ojaamong, who was attending a meeting in Mombasa.
According to the governor, the officials obtained a court order on Thursday to look into claims of fraud and money laundering.
TOOK FILES
From finance, the investigators proceeded to the procurement office, where they also took away files.
The incident attracted many onlookers, who watched the unfolding drama from the fence.
The raid comes barely a week after unknown people poured water and put a padlock on Deputy Governor Kizito Wangalwa’s office while he was on leave.
As the raid continued, County Chief of Protocol Dickson Pekol chased away journalists who had gone to cover it.
"You people go away, there is nothing to cover here … you can go and watch the proceedings from the gate," he told reporters.
