The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) Managing Director Geoffrey Mwangi and Director of Finance Wilbert Kurgat were arrested because of text messages allegedly exchanged between them.
The communication between the two was meant to scuttle the efforts of investigators who were probing allegations of graft at the firm by denying them access to crucial documents.
According to SMS evidence retrieved from his phone, Mwangi instructed Kurgat not to release “the air rescue thing and all the things I had given” to detectives.
“Do not give them. Tell them you are looking for them … they give you time. And they need to inform me. Actually, tell them they took them,” read the SMS from the MD.
He also allegedly directed the finance boss not to disclose payment vouchers that were used to pay Webtribe Limited, a software development firm that trades as JamboPay.
“Hi, do not give those guys. Tell [sic] its part of vouchers they took from your office. They also need to come to me,” read another piece of communication from Mwangi.
Prosecutors believe the “things” in question refer to payment vouchers that they believe will unearth a money-siphoning scheme at NHIF.
According to detectives and prosecutors, there are as many as 10 scandals at NHIF, and they represent what they describe as the most noxious corruption that has led to the loss of billions of shillings.
The mobile phones were connected to a software called Celebrite UFED that has the ability to recover deleted information from a mobile phone.
It can also retrieve encrypted messages and acquire information from password protected mobile apps like Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp and browser-saved passwords.
