Suspect in Migori County fraud probe refutes claims
A pupil in Migori County erects a bump along Tongo Riosiri Road last week. The anti-graft commission is investigating several companies in the county over theft of funds through road construction projects. PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
A man accused of benefiting from a suspected loot in Migori County has refuted claims of fraud, insisting he was paid for goods delivered.
Mr Walter Ogwada on Wednesday came out to defend himself against claims of impropriety after his firm was listed among companies under investigation for receiving suspicious payments from the Migori County government.
Documents obtained by the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission show a store was paid Sh948, 200 in March 2015. But the director of Marowa Hardware Stores said he supplied building materials worth over Sh1 million to Kosege Primary in Suna West sub-county after some county senior officials approached him to do so.
“The school had been blown off by winds and they wanted the damage to be fixed immediately so that learning is not paralysed. I took the materials and I was paid later,” the told the Nation.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives later visited us we explained ourselves in detail. They asked why we supplied the materials and yet we were not prequalified to do so,” said Mr Ogwada.
Despite the protests, EACC has listed the Stores among companies said to have been used by the County chief to siphon money from the coffers of the regional devolved unit. The anti-corruption detectives believe some of the monies was obtained through the companies through fraudulent procurement.
Mr Ogwada though says his accounts remain operational, contrary to EACC reports that they were frozen to allow investigations.
The Director argues was asked to provide the material worth more than Sh1 million, merely to address an emergency issue, having been contacted by officials in Migori County who he argued were his close friends.
“And that is why I accepted to give them the Kosege materials on debt…they still owe us over Sh50,000,” he added.
The detectives are investigating several companies in the county, suspected to have been involved in fraud.
Several bank accounts of the firms under spotlight have also been frozen in the Sh2 billion probe.
Detectives have unearthed 32 companies, 77 pieces of land and other assets. In June, Anti-Corruption Court Judge Hedwig Ong’udi extended the freeze order for four months, meaning it lapses on October 21.
Justice Ong’udi ordered EACC to increase the number of detectives probing the procurement allegations and complete investigations within the four-month window.
