Anti-corruption detectives Thursday
detained top officials of the National Land Commission (NLC) following
raids on their homes and offices which netted Sh18 million in local
currency and dollars.
The cash was found in one of the
homes following raids by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission which
also recovered what it described as “crucial documents”.
The
simultaneous raids conducted at the crack of dawn were sanctioned by a
court following a probe into billions of shillings paid to land owners
which paved the way for construction of the Nairobi-Mombasa standard
gauge railway (SGR).
Commission chairman Muhammad
Swazuri, vice chairman Abigale Mbagaya Mukolwe and CEO Tom Aziz
Changingi were detained following the raids.
NLC Finance Director Francis Mugo and his deputy Ben Cherutich were also detained.
EACC deputy CEO Michael Mubea confirmed recovery of the cash suspected to be part of suspect payments.
“We
have recovered crucial documents which will aid in our investigation.
We have also recovered almost Sh18 million. Sixteen million in foreign
currency and the rest in Kenyan shillings. We cannot cast aspersions
this early and we cannot reveal the identity of the official for
purposes of confidentiality.”
The EACC is investigating compensation to individuals
for land owned by the government, double compensation, payments to
people who did not own land acquired for the project, excessive
compensation as a result of over-valuation and payments in regard to
Kenya Railway reserve land.”
The Transport ministry
last November said the SGR land compensation bill stands at Sh33 billion
or 10 per cent of the project cost of Sh327billion.
SGR payments have also been a subject of a parliamentary probe which heard claims of bribery and division among commissioners.
Besides
the homes, the detectives raided NLC offices at ACK Bishops Annex in
Nairobi and took away documents and electronics they deemed crucial for
investigations.
Dr Swazuri received a Sh1.2 million
bribe to process compensation for land for SGR, a petitioner seeking his
removal from office told MPs on Thursday.
He was to
receive an additional Sh25 million if the petitioner successfully got
paid for a seven acre piece of land worth Sh43 million.
The
NLC chair was also accused of colluding with fraudsters to pay more
than Sh1 billion in compensation claims for land that belonged to the
government.
Lands Cabinet secretary Jacob Kaimenyi said
earlier the commission may have used “fake or non-existent” letters of
allotment, part development lans and survey plans as a basis for making
compensation worth Sh300 million for five parcels of land.
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