Account of firm linked to dams scandal frozen
Suspects involved in the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal leave the Directorate of Criminal Investigations' headquarters in Muthaiga on July 22, 2019 after questioning. The DCI got approval to have a bank account of Stanlib Wealth Amanah Property Limited, which is embroiled in the dams scandal, frozen as investigations proceed. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The police told the court they suspect the money at the bank’s Sarit Centre branch was earned from crime, and was being laundered.
A Nairobi court has ordered that an account of one of the companies associated with the construction of Arror and Kimwarer dams be frozen for seven days.
Milimani Senior Resident Magistrate C. Muthoni allowed the freezing of the account with Standard Chartered Bank, which belongs to Stanlib Wealth Amanah Property Limited, following an application by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to allow the police more time to complete investigations.
The police told the court they suspect the money at the bank’s Sarit Centre branch was earned from crime, and was being laundered.
Mr Isaac Ogutu, an investigator, told the court that on July 24 the company applied to transfer Sh734.5 million to AZepco General Trading Company LLC, a company based in Dubai.
He said the latter is suspected to have links with the construction of the two dams in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
INSPECTION
He added that AZepco received 5.8 million euros (Sh671 million) from Italian company CMC di Ravenna. The police said they were given the information by the Financial Reporting Centre.
The court allowed them to inspect the bank statements, inward and outward remittances, instructions on swift transfers, RTGS, deposits and withdrawal slips and cheques from December 1, 2017 to date.
The officer was also allowed to record statements from bank managers.
On Thursday, during the mention of the case in which 24 people, among them former former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, have been charged, the parties could not agree whether to be served with soft or hard copies of witness statements, exhibits and other documents the prosecution will rely on during the trial.
Mr Philip Murgor, representing former National Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge, said the defence team should be served with hard copies.
COURT DOCUMENTS
But special prosecutor Taib Ali Taib told Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti that the documents comprise about 500,000 copies, and that there was no legal obligation to serve the defence with hard copies.
He said the Director of Public Prosecutions had already prepared the documents on a CD and had given out five copies to some of the suspects.
Mr Ogoti directed the prosecution and the defence team to meet on August 26 and agree on the format in which the documents should be served and to appear before him on September 18 for a pre-trial.
