The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has moved to court in a bid to recover Ksh 25 million from a company linked to Turkana County officials for supplying goods that were not delivered.
EACC stated that it started an investigation into the matter following allegations that the county officials were also directors of the company that received the funds illegally from public coffers.
The anti-graft agency linked the director of the Amailo Investment Limited company to county officials who have been trading with the firm for close to 8 years since 2014.
The agency also established that the funds close to Ksh 25 million were paid for the supply 6,024 bags of soya which were never delivered.
EACC moved to court to recover Ksh.24,999,600 allegedly embezzled by Turkana County government officials through a private company in which they are directors. The High Court issued orders freezing the firm's account with the amount paid for goods not delivered.
In its application, the agency wants orders to be given to freeze the amount in its bank accounts from being withdrawn or transferred. Since 2014 the company has been trading with the county government making at least Ksh 185,638,899 million that was deposited at a local bank in Lodwar Town.
Court documents show that the Company director Mathew Kipchumba Kipkemei, Grace Mure, Samuel Eregae, James Arono, Esther Lokai Elim Peter Epagan, and Peter Ekorot Endapal engaged with the county government in contravention of the law.
The agency also noted that the company falsified delivery notes to purport to have delivered the bags of Soya corn blend with the help of James Arono who issued a false inspection and acceptance certificate supporting the intention of the company that the bags of the soya had been delivered.
The agency further established that the county officials were doing county business with their relatives which was against Section 42(3) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act of 2003.
EACC also revealed that there was a web of relationships that linked the accused individuals to the county government. The commission divulged that Esther Lokai who was a director resigned in 2019 but still runs the company through her father-in-law Peter Endapal.
The commission has sort orders that Amailo Investment Company be restrained from conducting business pending the determination of the case.
Justice Esther Maina directed that the company, its agents, or any person acting on their behalf should not operate, transfer or withdraw the funds close to Ksh 36.2 million that are being held at the company.
