Governor office raided in graft probe
An Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officer and a security guard carry two of the computers seized from the county offices in Busia on September 4, 2015. PHOTO | LINET WAFULA |
What you need to know:
- Detectives storm Ojamoong’s homes in Busia and Nairobi.
- Officers seize computers and files as Ojamong says it was politically motivated.
Anti-corruption officers on Friday stormed the office of Busia Governor Sospeter Ojamoong and his homes in Busia and Nairobi to investigate fraud claims.
The officers seized computers and documents from the office of the governor, and the finance and procurement departments.
The investigators, who were escorted by six armed police officers, arrived in two vans and headed straight to the finance office, which they ransacked for documents for more than an hour.
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
They later carried away two computers and some documents.
The investigators proceeded to the procurement office, where they also took away files.
Contacted by the Saturday Nation, Mr Ojamoong described the raid as unfortunate, adding that it was politically motivated.
“We have not heard any queries from the auditor-general or the Senate. The Public Accounts Committee has given us a clean bill of health,” said Mr Ojamoong.
He added: “It is shocking that they stormed my houses in Busia and Nairobi, 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.”
The governor was attending a meeting in Mombasa.
According to Mr Ojamoong, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officials obtained a court order on Thursday to investigate allegations of fraud and money laundering.
During the raid, county chief of protocol Dickson Pekol ordered journalists who had gone to cover the event to leave.
“Go away, there is nothing to cover here … You can go and watch the proceedings from the gate,’’ Mr Pekol told the journalists.
The journalists however stayed to record the raid.
