Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC), on Monday, June 29, apprehended a former Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) manager, Joseph Chege Gikonyo, who was accused of harbouring more than Ksh500 million in unexplained wealth.
In a statement, the agency disclosed that Gikonyo was arrested alongside his wife Lucy Kangai Stephen. The couple were also accused of failing to remit their taxes.
EACC sleuths noted that they found that the couple amassed Ksh597,457,059 in just five years between 2010 and 2015. They, however, failed to account the means through which they acquired the money.
Giche Limited, a company that is connected to the duo, also failed to remit taxes. The deficit totaled to Ksh38,692,694.
Their file was forwarded to the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for the two to be arraigned in court.
The suspects are expected to appear in court for plea taking on June 30, 2020.
Gikonyo had served as the KRA manager for the Eldoret branch until he was interdicted.
The former manager had been working with the tax collector since 1998, but his wealth could have your entire village under his payroll.
EACC queried his source of wealth after determining that Gikonyo had supposedly only amassed Ksh45 million over the years he had been in public service in salaries and bonuses from his tea farming.
In 2018, KRA manager had registered property in parts of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties valued at Sh355 million, and cash deposits of at least Sh399 million in various accounts.
That was despite his salary being pegged at Ksh 119,000.
When he started working with KRA, Gikonyo could take home a basic salary of Ksh24,369 as a junior employee.
Most of his suspect sources of income are numerous cash transactions to his Mpesa account from a number of clearing and forwarding companies.
