Former anti-graft czar John Githongo yesterday said he was frustrated by senior government officers when he sought to find out more about suspicious Anglo Leasing contracts.
Githongo told Anti-Corruption Court magistrate Felix Kombo that from April 2004 to 2005, when he left office, he never found out the real people who were behind the dubious contracts.
Githongo, who was the anti-corruption chief in former President Mwai Kibaki’s office, before he resigned in February 2005, said he has never seen the final contract between Sound Day Corporation - the company at the centre of the scam – and the Government of Kenya until yesterday morning, when it was brought to his attention by the prosecution. He told court among the people he sought information from were then ministers David Mwiraria (Finance), Kiraitu Murungi (Justice ) and Chris Murungaru (Internal Security).
“I could literally knock door-to-door to seek assistance. I was under pressure from the President, who wanted to know who were these being paid money for questionable transactions,” he said.
Githongo, who was being led through his testimony by Emily Kamau, a senior assistant DPP, said he also sought help from then Central Bank of Kenya Governor and Auditor General and even travelled to Switzerland, but still could not find out all the information.
He was testifying against businessmen Deepak Kamani and Rashmi Kamani and two former PSs, who face charges of conspiracy to defraud the government of about Sh4 billion.