EACC officers raid ex-KPC director Tanui's home
Kenya Pipeline Corporation Managing Director Charles Tanui speaks before the Public Investment Committee about a Hydrant Pit Valves tender, at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on July 8, 2014. He is being investigated for alleged corruption. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- EACC is conducting investigations into allegations of corruption in the award of a tender by the Kenya Pipeline Company Limited for the supply of Hydrant Pit Valves.
- The investigations, which extends to other jurisdictions that include United States and Canada, is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed soon.
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials on Thursday raided the home of former Kenya Pipeline Corporation Managing Director Charles Tanui in connection to a Sh647 million Hydrant Pit Valves investigation.
The EACC sleuths sought to establish the role of Mr Tanui in the loss of the money through a scheme that awarded them to select briefcase companies.
Detectives analysed documents and laptops in the house of Mr Tanui who was the Company’s boss in 2014, when the tenders were purportedly awarded.
CORRUPTION
The detectives then proceeded to raid other officials’ homes and offices, collecting documents they believe will support the investigations that come four years later.
EACC Chief Executive Officer Halakhe Waqo said in a statement that the commission is conducting investigations into allegations of corruption in the award of tender No SU/QT/3264F/14 by the Kenya Pipeline Company Limited for the supply of Hydrant Pit Valves complete with isolation valves and two year operational spares at a cost of $6,408,491.89 (Sh647,257,680.89).
“We conducted a search at the residence and offices of the public officials of the company who handled the procurement at the time,” Mr Waqo said, adding that the officers retrieved several documents and records that are crucial to the investigations.
TENDERS
He said that the investigations, which extends to other jurisdictions that include United States and Canada, is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed soon.
“Thereafter, appropriate recommendations will be made to the Director of Public Prosecutions,” Mr Waqo said.
EACC did not however give all the names of the people whose offices and residence were raided, but a source privy to the investigations said the officers had conducted searches in more than seven homes.
The tenders were allegedly awarded to among other companies Aero Dispenser Valves and Thermodynamics, which is believed to be run by a Mr John Huba Wako and listed as located in Gill House at Nairobi’s Central Business District.
VALVES
The company was to supply aircraft refuelling equipment for Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The scandal was revealed after the Joint Inspection Group visited the airport to inspect fuels as part of their mandate to improve standards for the safe handling and quality control of aviation fuels.
It was then that KPC purchased some exaggerated number of hydrant pit valves for the airport plus their spares.
Hydrant pit valves are used in aircraft fuelling and comprise a series of components for fuelling aircraft with sufficient pressure and flow to deliver piped fuel throughout an airport.
