Politics and policy
Auditor-General Edward Ouko. He has questioned a large number of
irregular transactions involving the Judiciary, including purchase of
vehicles. PHOTO | FILE
By EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
Motor dealer CMC bribed top officials in the
Judiciary to win a multi-million-shilling contract to supply the Supreme
Court with vehicles, Parliament has been told.
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Ababu Namwamba said
a witness had testified on oath that CMC gave the officials three cars
to have them facilitate the procurement of the top-of-the-range
vehicles.
“We have that evidence on record and this issue is
part of the special audit report on the Judiciary finances,” Mr Namwamba
said.
Mr Namwamba spoke during PAC’s interrogation of
chief registrar Anne Amadi over alleged rampant corruption in the
Judiciary during the tenure of her predecessor Gladys Shollei.
The committee directed Ms Amadi and the
Auditor-General to present a full inventory of the 108 vehicles that the
Judiciary purchased for the Supreme Court at a cost of Sh561 million
within two days. The vehicles were purchased in the fiscal year 2012/13
from CMC and DT Dobie.
The Auditor-General has questioned a large number
of irregular transactions involving the Judiciary, including the
purchase of vehicles, leasing of offices, remuneration of workers, and
procurement of services such as legal representation that took place
under Ms Shollei.
Mr Namwamba said PAC has evidence that the
Judiciary did not follow due process in buying the vehicles from CMC and
DT Dobie, citing Auditor-General Edward Ouko’s queries on the
expenditure.
Suna East MP Junet Mohammed said the witness had claimed that one of the vehicles was given to Ms Shollei.
“It is on record that the vehicle was given as a
kickback. We want to know the worth of each vehicle and their
registration numbers,” said Mr Mohammed.
It was not immediately clear what car models and
units the Judiciary bought from the two dealers. The Judiciary took
delivery of 48 Land Rover Defenders from CMC in October 2012.
That consignment was part of a total order of 113 units that were to have been delivered over a period of three months.
Ms Shollei has said that each car was priced at
Sh4.8 million but it was not clear whether the entire order was
delivered in the subsequent months.
DT Dobie sold 40 units of Mercedes Benz cars to the
Judiciary in 2012, according to industry sales data — earning more than
Sh180 million from the transaction.
Ms Amadi said all the vouchers that were used to
purchase the vehicles were handed over to the Auditor-General on Monday,
a move that should help shed light on the controversial transactions.
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