Ouko deals blow to ANC in row with Osotsi

Attempts by Mr Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) party to expel nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi suffered a blow after Auditor-General Edward Ouko denied sanctioning a management letter the party used to kick him out.

The letter, dated September 21, 2018 and signed by a Mr Kennedy Mwaniki on behalf of Mr Ouko, put Mr Osotsi on the spot over alleged misappropriation of Sh124.12 million between December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2017.

Mr Osotsi was then-ANC’s secretary-general and one of the party’s accounting officers when the money was said to have been lost.

AUDIT REPORT

Although a management letter is not an audit finding or a report, it led to the expulsion of Mr Osotsi for misusing party funds.

But Mr Ouko has now denied knowledge of the letter in a message to Mr Osotsi dated June 10, 2019.

“I note that the attachment is titled management letter for compliance audit performed for two years ending December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2017 for the ANC,” Mr Ouko says.

“This attachment is unofficial as an audit report. Constitutionally, an audit report can be quoted only if it bears the signature of the Auditor-General. I am therefore a stranger to the quoted report,” he said.

MALICE

Contacted for comment, acting Secretary-General Barrack Muluka said the Auditor-General’s office had just finished auditing the party’s books but was mum on the management letter in question.

“That is not a question I can answer. It is for the Auditor-General to respond,” Mr Muluka said.

Mr Ouko’s move means the letter could have been wrongly used to hound Mr Osotsi out of the party and by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate him, thus damaging his image.

A management letter is issued to an entity being audited for the purpose of generating documentation and explaining areas of expenditure that require clarity.