Crackdown on NYS Suspects Intensify as Bank Accounts Are Frozen

A judge working on the ongoing intensified crackdown against National Youth Service (NYS) suspects has concealed his identity as he gave recent orders.

Giving an order to freeze 113 bank accounts belonging to the suspects and their families for six months, the judge failed to indicate his name.

Giving police officer Fredrick Musyoki orders to scrutinise accounts held with 13 banks, the judge avoided writing his/her full name on the order appending a signature instead.

[caption caption="PS Lillian Mbogo Omollo in court"][/caption]

"Whereas it has been proved to me on oath that for purposes of an investigation into the commission of an offence of money laundering and tracing of proceeds of crime, an order of production be and is hereby issued to inspect the books," the order reads in part.

The frozen accounts will be investigated on their opening documents, statements of account since their inception to date, cheques, cash deposits and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transfers covering the period.

Among the accounts under probe are those associated with Anne Ngirita, Lucy Ngirita and Phyllis Ngirita who are linked to irregular payment of Ksh60 million.

The freeze is part of the investigations narrowing to Ksh468 million that was paid out illegally in the Ksh9 Billion NYS heist.

The anonymous judge gave the directive following an application by the Asset Recovery Agency, a semi-autonomous body under the office of the Attorney-General, as supported by an affidavit sworn by the police officer.

In the application, Musyoki had indicated that he needed the court’s permission to look into the accounts to enable him to ascertain if money laundering had been committed.

[caption caption="Anne Ngirita with other suspects in court"][/caption]

It is suspected that the suppliers and beneficiaries of the NYS scandal were paid through the said banks for services that were never rendered and goods not delivered hence the funds held in those accounts are proceeds of crime liable for recovery by the agency.

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