•Investigations extended to government agencies like KRA and NTSA to unearth linkages in fraud activities.
•Families of the deceased want justice and monetary compensation.
Special Crimes Unit detectives are investigating a clearing and forwarding company suspected of using dead people's documents to import vehicle spare parts worth billions of shillings.
The officers, who been in Mombasa since Wednesday last week, raided the company's premises where 15 containers are suspected to have been kept. Several people were questioned but there have been no arrests.
The containers are said to have had 45 truckloads of spare parts.
The raid will be extended to the rest of Coast region and other towns including Nairobi, Thika and Nakuru. The sleuths believe unscrupulous businessmen are denying the government billions of shillings in unpaid duty.
The clique is also said to have brought old and substandard vehicles, especially trucks, to the Kenyan market.
Mombasa CID boss Washington Njiru told the Star last Thursday, “They passed by my office in the morning. They are following on business deals involving a deceased person's documents.”
About 5,000 substandard trucks are suspected to have been sold in eight years.
The investigations have been extended to some government agencies like the Kenya Revenue Authority and the National Transport and Safety Authority to unearth linkages that hide fraud.
The magnitude of the scam network takes corruption to a whole new level.
As the investigations continue, relatives of the deceased whose details were used in the fraud want to move to court to seek access to all the ‘properties’ their dead relatives ‘had’.
Most died as paupers.
One of the families based in Kwale county is also demanding monetary compensation from the unscrupulous businessmen.
The family of Mariam Omar Mwakituko, who died on October 29, 2014, and was buried a day after in Ng’ombeni, Kwale, said that her documents were used to buy and import vehicles and spare parts.
Her brother, Uwezo Omati Mwakituko, has an affidavit prepared by George Kithi Advocates to assist him access information from KRA, NTSA and phone records in his quest for justice.
“I have reason to believe there are unknown people that have been using my late sister’s documents to carry out business illegally. I learnt from KRA records that she owns a matatu, which she did not have prior to her demise,” Mwakituko said in the March 4 affidavit.
Three trucks were registered under his sister’s number. At NTSA, the recorded number linked to the vehicles - KBT 875X, KBT 290U and KBR 892P - was still active.
“We want justice. These people are now millionaires and continue to enrich themselves, courtesy of my sister,” Omar, her younger brother and family spokesman said.
In a complaint to the DCI, a whistle blower, in a letter dated March 7, complained that despite giving information on the illicit trade in February, the information was not handled confidentially. She says her life is in danger.
She claimed an Egyptian businessman (name withheld) and his partners import secondhand vehicles from Hong Kong and other countries as spare parts, and re-assemble them upon arrival at the port, having evaded the payment of tax.
“Having learnt of my whistle blowing dossier, they called my husband on February 25 requesting to meet him at Parklands, blamed him for the leaked information and threatened to kill us,” she said.
She made a report at Parklands police station and was issued with an OB number.
The Star is in possession of a release order indicating the details of truck shipment from Hong Kong and a separate list of at least 130 old truck registration numbers said to have been illegally imported.
Another protest letter to Treasury CS Henry Rotich said the scam that has been going on for over 10 years, has proceeds of the illegal business deposited in five local banks, which were also listed.
Also named is a Sudanese businessman who deals with Mombasa-based Kenyan partners, and who have allegedly been importing the trucks for Juba.
A source who could not be named due to the sensitivity of the matter said, “We even have a list of chassis numbers that are disguised to the extent that someone thinks they are the latest trucks, but if you remove the first three digits, the original chassis number will show, to prove that most are over 20 years old,”
The investigations show that documents of the late Mariam’s co-wife Mariam Ibrahim - who is alive - and their father-in-law Rashid Said, who died in July 2012, were also used to transact businesses in Nairobi and at the port of Mombasa.
“I was surprised to hear that my father owns containers while I’m dying of poverty. How did my father come to own containers and vehicles?” Said’s son Rashid Bakari asked.
“Because my father is a shareholder, we want the government to help us get our dues.”
Mariam Ibrahim said the state should crack the whip on the corrupt businessmen.
“I’m still in shock how my ID was used to buy vehicles. These people should be tracked down so that I can get my share,” she added.
The Star visited the family’s home and saw the graves of Mariam and her father-in-law.
Police in Nairobi are tracking many businessmen who collude with government agencies to transact the dubious business deals.
An investigations officer told the Star that the businessmen will be brought to book once the probe is over. “We are looking for more accomplices who are involved in this business. The list is long,” he said.
Police are also investigating how the documents of a family in Kwale leaked to the businessmen in Nairobi.
“There might be people who surrendered their deceased family's documents,” he said on condition of anonymity as he is not allowed to speak to the press.