The Director of the company behind the Ksh600 million fraudulent tender for the Malaba Water Project was on Monday, February 6 arrested by the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC).
According to a statement by the Anti-corruption body, the suspect was on the run for close to a week since Wednesday, February 1 when the commission started tracking him.
"EACC, yesterday, arrested the Director of the company behind the Ksh600 million fraudulent tender for the Malaba Water Project awarded by Rift Valley Water Services Board," the statement read in part.
Equally, the Commission indicated that the fraudulent tender for the Malaba Water Project was awarded by Rift Valley Water Services Board.
The statement from the Antic-corruption body further noted that the suspect, currently in police custody, will be presented to the Bungoma Anti-Corruption Court on Tuesday, February 7 at 9:00 am.
“The suspect will be charged with fraudulent practice in procurement contrary to section 66 (1) as read with 177(a) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015,” read part of the statement.
On Wednesday, February 1, six other suspects were arrested by the commission in Nakuru and Eldoret and later charged with each being granted a bond of Ksh1 million with two (2) sureties of a similar amount or cash bail of Ksh500,000.
EACC began its probe after receiving information that the tender had reportedly been awarded to a company that allegedly neither met the qualifications nor had the capacity to execute a job of that magnitude.
It was then disclosed by a source that the suspects had used forged documents to win the tender.
The Technical Evaluation Committee members were equally put on the spot for failing to perform due diligence and for failing to confirm and verify the qualifications of the company that had submitted the lowest bid.
Among the accusations leveled against the committee included wilful failure to comply with the law and regulations relating to procurement, neglect of official duty by a public officer, and fraudulent practice in procurement.
The EACC has recently been working closely with both local and international partners in combating and nabbing economic crime suspects.
According to the EACC, the matter will be mentioned on 15 Feb 2023 and a hearing slated for April 11, 2023.
