John Githongo says he didn’t see Anglo Leasing contract
Former Governance and Ethics Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President John Githongo testifies in a Nairobi Anti Corruption court during the hearing of Anglo Leasing case on July 3, 2017. PHOTO | PAUL WAWERU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Githongo, the anti-corruption czar in former President Mwai Kibaki’s office, also admitted that Sound Day had supplied security equipment since 1993 without complaints.
- Defence lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi told the Anti-Corruption Court that courts in Sweden and London had established that the firms were duly registered.
Former Governance and Ethics Permanent Secretary John Githongo on Monday said he had not seen the executed contract between Sound Day Corporation Ltd and the government.
Sound Day, one of the firms at the centre of the multi-billion-shilling Anglo Leasing scandal, was contracted in December 2003 to supply security equipment to the police.
But the anti-corruption crusader said he was seeing the executed contract for the first time.
“The one I saw in 2004 when I was making inquiries on the controversial contract had only one signature, with the name of a white person,” Mr Githongo told the court.
He however admitted, upon questioning by defence lawyer Kioko Kilukumi, that he was not privy to all contracts signed by the government with other parties and would not know if Sound Day’s was executed.
SUPPLIED SECURITY EQUIPMENT
Mr Githongo, the anti-corruption czar in former President Mwai Kibaki’s office, also admitted that Sound Day had supplied security equipment since 1993 without complaints.
He said he raised an alarm over the Anglo Leasing deals when he realised that some of the firms the government had entered into contract with were “dubious”.
He said they did not have proper origin and their ownership was questionable.
“The government was getting into contract with firms that had dubious provenance,” said Mr Githongo. “This was injurious to the country and the public.”
TRAINED INVESTIGATOR
He was, however, at pains to explain how he reached the conclusion yet he was not a trained investigator.
Defence lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi told the Anti-Corruption Court that courts in Sweden and London had established that the firms were duly registered.
The government had advanced similar arguments but lost.
Mr Kilukumi told the court then-Attorney-General Amos Wako approved the contract.
Former senior government officers and business people have been charged over the tenders, which were later cancelled.
The hearing resumes on Tuesday.
