Allan Mungai 
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]
The walls are closing in on Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, following his
arrest yesterday over his alleged involvement in corruption at City
Hall.
Sonko was arrested in Voi while on his way to Mombasa a few hours after
Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji announced that he would be
arrested on suspicion of high level corruption.
After an investigation that the DPP said was made challenging by
obstruction, intimidation and constant threats to the investigators,
Haji said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had acquired
evidence to prosecute Sonko and eight other county employees for the
theft of Sh357 million.
“Investigations into these crimes have been challenging because of the
repeated attempts by the accused to obstruct the course of the
investigation by deploying intimidation tactics in addition to using
goons to threaten law enforcement officials,” the DPP said yesterday.
SEE ALSO :Mike Sonko, his highs and lows
The
charges against the governor range from abuse of office, conflict of
interest, unlawful acquisition of public property, money laundering,
conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, to willful failure to
comply with procurement laws.
Others on the radar of investigative agencies include County Secretary
Peter Mbugua, Head of Supply Chain Management Patrick Mwangangi, members
of the Negotiation, Tender Opening and Evaluation Committee Samuel
Ndung’u, Edwin Kariuki, Lawrence Mwangi and Preston Mwandiki as well as
clerical officers Wambua Ndaka and Andrew Nyasiego.
Haji is also going after some six companies and their directors who had a hand in plundering the richest county in the country.
Hardi Enterprises Limited and Toddy Civil Engineering are directly
linked to funds stolen from the county while Web Tribe Limited, Arbab
Auto Limited, High Energy Petroleum Limited and ROG Security Limited are
suspects in the laundering of Sh24.1 million.
Arrest warrants
Those whose arrest warrants were issued yesterday include Hardi
Enterprises Limited and Toddy Civil Engineering directors Anthony
Ng’ang’a and Rose Ng’ang’a, respectively, Antony Ombok, (Arbab Auto
Limited, High Energy Petroleum Limited and ROG Security Limited), Web
Tribe Limited directors Danson Njunji, Robert Muna and their agent
Zablon Ochomo as well as Fredrick Odhiambo who is a partner at Yiro
Enterprises.
Sonko has been on the radar of detectives over a tender to collect
garbage and a trail of payments uncovered by the EACC from companies
doing business with the county and percentages of which were allegedly
laundered back to the governor’s bank accounts.
In an affidavit filed at the anti-corruption court, the EACC says Sh27.4
million was wired into Sonko’s accounts at Equity Bank from three
companies, which had been awarded multi-million-shilling contracts by
the county.
The EACC says Arbab Auto Ltd received Sh23.3 million from Amaco
Assurance, which runs the contract to insure county government vehicles,
and then wired Sh17 million to Sonko.
Yiro Enterprises Ltd and Web Tribe, which operates JamboPay and was
until May this year providing e-payment revenue collection for the
county, sent Sh14.1 million and Sh10 million, respectively to ROG
Securities Ltd.
ROG Securities Ltd then later sent Sh10.4 million to Sonko.
Arbab and ROG Securities Ltd are both owned by Ombok who was in October 2017 appointed as the governor’s communications advisor.
Yiro is among companies, including Hardi Enterprises Ltd, which won the contact to collect garbage in the city.
Prior to the remittances to Sonko, all the companies had received money from the county government as payments for contracts.
The DPP said yesterday the companies were criminally culpable for laundering up to Sh24.1 million.
Their directors, he said, would be charged with unlawful acquisition of
public property, money laundering and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
Haji has warned the suspects against attempts to intimidate, threaten
and malign investigating officers and agencies and using the public to
derail their prosecution.
“…any attempts to instigate social unrest and incite the public will be
countered with the whole of government response,” said Haji.
“Members of the public are advised not to allow themselves to be used as
human shields in the defence of these officials charged. Any person who
engages in such behaviour will be dealt with by whole of government and
held individually liable.”
Sonko’s arraignment will likely alter the course of City Hall and serve to slip the office from his grasp.
From the corruption charges, his lack of a deputy, flooding in the city,
and a chaotic transport system, the chickens are finally coming home to
roost.
Since Sonko does not have a deputy governor, it will also put the county
in uncharted waters, going by the precedent set by the High Court,
which blocked Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal and Kiambu’s Ferdinand
Waititu, who have both been charged with corruption, from accessing
office and effectively charged the county to their deputies.
Given his inclination to overt gestures, Sonko posted a picture of him
sitting alone at the head of a gilded dining room, that caused furore
online.
A statement from his office yesterday downplayed his tribulations and
captured the governor’s thoughts on his predicament as a “choreographed
lie”, “temporary insubordination”, and “political trap”.
Meanwhile, the governor will spend the weekend in custody after
the Anti-Corruption Court turned down the his bid to be released on
bond.
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