Haji eyes Sh72bn from corrupt officials

Ethics and Anti-Corrup­tion Commission chief executive Twalib Mbarak (left) with Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By DAVID MWERE
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Summary

• A total of Sh82 billion worth of cases have been registered in the courts from 2014 to March this year.
• Among those expected to lose their ill-gotten wealth include nine former ministers, Cabinet secretaries, PSs, five county governors and their deputies, and 13 MPs and senators.
• Others are 73 senior county officials, 40 chief executives, board directors, and other senior State officials as well as nine other individuals who fall under the category of secretary general, company secretary, chairman, advocates and administration directors.

The government is targeting to recover at least Sh72.5 billion from senior State officials who are claimed to have acquired wealth through corrupt means, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has said.

This comes as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chief executive Twalib Mbarak said the lack of a law to guide the lifestyle audit and wealth declaration had made it difficult to recover the assets acquired illegitimately.

Appearing before the parliamentary Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Thursday, Mr Noordin said applications have been made in the 283 lawsuits to recover the money and assets.

He also told the Baringo North MP Wil­liam Cheptumo-chaired committee that another Sh10 billion is set to be recovered from the cases that had been concluded in court.

A total of Sh82 billion worth of cases have been registered in the courts from 2014 to March this year.

Among those expected to lose their ill-gotten wealth include nine former ministers, Cabinet secretaries, PSs, five county governors and their deputies, and 13 MPs and senators.

Others are 73 senior county officials, 40 chief executives, board directors, and other senior State officials as well as nine other individuals who fall under the category of secretary general, company secretary, chairman, advocates and administration directors.

“About 850 inquiry files were received from the EACC for re­view and direction by the DPP from January 2014 to March 2019,” said Mr Haji.

The DPP directed 58.2 percent of files for prosecution, 18.3 percent for closure, 8.5 percent for administrative action and 13.6 percent for further investigations.

Some of the cases involve small amounts of bribery to as high as the Sh29billion Imperial Bank and Sh6 billion Anglo Leasing scandal law­suits.

Mr Haji said since 2014, 582 corrup­tion and economic crime cases were registered in the court.