'PROCEEDS OF CRIME'

EACC summons Sonko county officials over graft at City Hall

Magistrate faults the Assets Recovery Agency for failing to seek an extension of the orders

In Summary

• The officials include county secretary Leboo Morintat, Mohamed Dagane, Charles Kerich (Lands), Peter Mugo, Lydia Kwamboka, Villy Magero and Allan Igambi.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
Image: FILE

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission summoned 14 Nairobi county officials as investigations into graft at City Hall continue.

The letter dated February 3 stated the officers were to appear to facilitate investigations.

The officials include Mohamed Dagane (Transport), Charles Kerich (Lands), Peter Mugo (Chief of staff), Lydia Kwamboka (County Attorney), Villy Magero and Allan Igambi (Finance CEC).

Others are Newton Munene (ICT), Hitan Majevdia(Health), Veska Kangogo (Devolution), George Omogi( Trade nominee awaiting vetting), Larry Wambua (Environment), Lucia Mulwa (Education)and Karen Nyamu ( Agriculture nominee awaiting vetting).

The summons come days after Dagane and Kerich came from suspension, while Nyamu and Omogi are yet to be vetted.

The officials appeared at EACC on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, a magistrate's court ordered the Assets Recovery Agency to immediately unfreeze five bank accounts belonging to Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. 

The accounts were frozen in December last year following an order by senior resident magistrate Elekta Riany after the agency told the court that the cash held in those accounts were proceeds of crime.

The agency had sought the freezing orders and access to the accounts to carry out investigations. It alleged that the accounts had suspicious transactions believed to be proceeds of crime from illegal financing, theft and money laundering activities from the Nairobi government.

Sonko has been charged in court over economic crimes, abuse of office, unlawful acquisition of property and irregular payments that resulted in the loss of Sh357 million by the county. He was later released on Sh15 million bail and barred from accessing his office.

 
 

The requirement for governors facing criminal charges to keep away from their offices started when High Court Judge Mumbi Ngugi upheld a decision of a magistrate's court barring Samburu county boss Moses Lenolkulal from accessing his office.

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