Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission chief executive Twalib Mbarak now says that the case against former Tourism CS Najib Balala and his co-accused was only the first phase.
Speaking on Tuesday, Mbarak said there is a second file that still relates to the matter and the anti-graft agency is only waiting for the conclusion of investigations.
He noted that the recent arrest was only related to the consultancy aspect of setting up the Coast branch of Kenya Utalii College later renamed Ronald Ngala Utalii College.
Mbarak said the second case focuses on the construction aspect of it.
"The amount of money that college was allocated roughly about Sh2 billion ended up being Sh8 billion. If you go to that site, it's a very sad story. You have a very big college under construction but it is stuck. This case has got two faces.
"Face one is about the consultancy. There's the construction part of it. We are yet to finish that file and there will be a second case coming on the same matter and will likely hit the same people. This is one of the sad stories of this country where a grand project has stalled because of corruption," Mbarak said on Citizen TV.
On December 22, 2023, former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala was arrested following allegations that the Tourism Fund fraudulently paid Sh8.5 billion to set up the Coast branch of Kenya Utalii College.
Following the arrest, Balala appeared before Malindi Chief Magistrate Joseph Mwaniki and was charged alongside his former Principal Secretary Leah Gwiyo and 82-year-old Joseph Odero. They all denied the charges.
The former CS and PS were released on Sh5 million bonds with a surety of a similar amount or Sh1 million cash bail after pleading not guilty.
The court also ordered Odero to be released on a Sh3 million bond with a surety of a similar amount or Sh800,000.
