EACC to probe bank accounts of firms at centre of Kilifi scam

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has obtained court orders to investigate bank accounts of two of the five Nairobi based companies said to have stolen over Sh51 million from Kilifi County coffers.

Malindi Principal Magistrate Silvia Wewa on Friday issued the EACC with orders to investigate, inspect, and obtain bank statements and banker books of Makegra Supplies Ltd and Zohali Construction and General Services Ltd.

She also issued same orders to the anti-graft agency to investigate bank accounts of one of the directors of Zohali Construction and General Supplies, Ms Lucy Wanjugu Kibogo.

In a sworn affidavit, Mr Kofa Komara an EACC investigating officer from Malindi, told the court that he was investigating Makgra Supplies Ltd which fraudulently received Sh10, 363, 178 from the Kilifi County.

Further, he also states that he wants to investigate Zohali Construction and General Services which also fraudulently received Sh9,230, 645 from the county.

“Preliminary Investigations indicate that the county government has never traded with Makegra Supplies Ltd and Zohali Construction and General Services Ltd,” he said.

On Ms Kibogo, the anti-graft officer said that preliminary investigations had established that money was fraudulently transacted from Zohali Ltd into her bank account.

The bank accounts under probe include NIC Bank-Harambee Avenue Branch, Consolidated bank- River Road branch, Jamii Bora Bank-Kiongozi Branch and Barclays Bank- Queensway in Nairobi.

The magistrate issued the orders served through the bank branch managers demanding them to issue EACC investigators with the documents required for investigations.

The theft of millions from the county government’s bank account into private ones has shocked residents and rocked the county with Governor Amason Kingi suspending 10 senior officers whose passwords are said to have been used to steal the money.

EACC, the Banking Fraud Investigating Unit and a special committee of the County Assembly led by Speaker Jimmy Kahindi, have moved in to investigate what was initially a theft of Sh30 million, rising later to Sh45 million and currently Sh51 million, according to the county government.

The governor has publicly named five companies and its directors, whom preliminary investigations have indicated they fraudulently received part of the Sh51 million from the county government’s account.

The companies and their directors named by Mr Kingi include:

• Daima One Enterprises, opened as M-Pesa business on January 28, 2016 in Nairobi along Juja Road. Its director is Sarah Wangui Kamau but has no identification card number nor telephone number.
• Makegra Supplies Limited opened on May 4, 2015 located on the third floor of Naciko Plaza, Landhies road in Nairobi. Its directors, who have no known identification card numbers and telephone numbers are Mary Kamau and Kennedy Irungu, with Stella Nyamu as the secretary.
• Leadership Edge Associate Ltd opened on November 25, 2011 and located at Embassy Building in Nairobi along Harambee road. Its directors who have identification card numbers or known contacts are Samuel Macharia and Kangari Mwangi, with Ngugi Mwangi as the secretary.
• Zohari Services Ltd opened on September 29, 2014 located along Lenena road in Nairobi, its directors who have not indicated their identification card numbers and contacts are Ann Muthoni, Lucy Wangugi, with Charles Nga’ang’a as the secretary.
• Kilingi Supplies Ltd opened on April 17, 2009 located in Umoja One in Nairobi along Outer Ring road, with its directors who have no identification card numbers and contacts being Stephen Mutua, Hellen Nzilani and Richard Kariuki.