EACC arrests Wajir clerk over car purchase

Wajir County Assembly clerk Osman Mohamed speaks to journalists during a past interview. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • A high court froze bank accounts of two companies linked to the misappropriation of funds meant for the purchase of vehicles.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives have arrested Wajir County Assembly clerk Osman Mohamed.

EACC spokesman Yassin Amaro said the action was taken after Mr Mohamed declined to produce key documents pertaining the ongoing investigation into the use of Sh26 million to purchase cars for Governor Mohamed Abdi.

"Our officers have today arrested the county clerk for withholding some documents that involve the purchase of [a] highly valued governor’s vehicle," Mr Amaro said.

ACCOUNTS FROZEN

The arrest comes a day after high court froze bank accounts of two companies linked to the misappropriation of the funds - Daayo Construction and General Supplies Limited and Fine Trust Construction Company.

According to court documents, the money was meant for buying two cars but only one was bought - at Sh14 million - while the remaining amount was transferred to a bank account owned by one of the companies.

The court thus directed the freezing the firms accounts for six months as the anti-graft agency completes its investigations.

The sleuths, who were accompanied by police, took Mr Mohamed to Garissa for further investigations. Last month, the agency raided the county's finance offices over the matter.