Mathira Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday, July 20 set the record straight on how he acquired a Ksh12 billion fortune from tenders.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Gachagua dismissed allegations that he used his authority as a member of parliament to fraudulently acquire tenders. He stated that he was not a state officer but an ordinary citizen.
Gachagua faces accusations of using proxies to fraudulently secure tenders using 22 companies in which he is the main beneficiary.
He explained that he earned money by loaning individuals who approached him for financial help after they secured tenders.
"If you have a tender, you win and you come to me and say I have this tender of Ksh20 million, I need Ksh15 million, can you lend it to me and I give it to you and you do the tender, when you are paid, you pay me back it's not a crime [SIC]," he remarked.
Gachagua elaborated there was no need for him to use any proxies as he did not have to hide his identity as he was not a public servant.
According to the Mathira lawmaker, he acquired the money from businesses he undertook 10 to 12 years ago when he was not an MP. Therefore, any accusations of abuse of office levelled against him would be invalid.
Asserting that all his money was from clean business, he challenged his accusers to take him to court if they have any evidence that he had stolen any money.
Gachagua, whose bank accounts containing Ksh202 million were frozen, expressed his confidence that he can account for all the money that he earned before the court.
He alleged that he was only being targeted because of his support for Deputy President William Ruto.
"I was PA (Personal Assistant) for Uhuru Kenyatta, those allegations were not there. All the years I was supporting Uhuru Kenyatta, nobody had a problem with how I was doing business," he reiterated.
The Mathira MP alleged that he was called and intimidated to abandon Ruto's camp, a position on which he will stand firm. He claimed that he similarly faced harassment over his political position.
He challenged the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to arraign him in court if they have evidence against him stating that it is upon the agency to prove that the money he has is proceeds of crime.
He accused his opponents of using the criminal justice system to manage politics.
