• Governor appeared before Senate County Public Accounts Committee to answer 2017-18 audit queries.
• Competence of top county finance officials questioned for not spotting typo or computer errors.
Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana was on the spot on Monday over "typographical errors" showing expenditure to acquire assets.
The governor was also at pains to explain why the county spent Sh13 million (32 per cent) of the Sh40 million generated locally to pay revenue collectors.
The governor appeared before the Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee to answer 2017-18 audit queries.
The committee questioned the competence of top finance officials.
Godhana’s administration could not explain or defend the expenditure of more than Sh222 million. Finance officers blamed typographical or computer errs.
We have every reason to believe this money was pocketed. You cannot convince this committee it was an error. There is something you are hiding in the statementsCommittee chairman Moses Kajwang
These payments for assets were flagged by Auditor General Edward Oukot.
According to the report, Tana River received Sh5.6 billion from the National Treasury during the year under review. It spent Sh4.5 billion, leaving 1.12 billion to purchase assets.
However, financial statements indicate a surplus of Sh1.3 billion, resulting in an unexplained difference of Sh222 million.
The surplus Sh1.3 billion reported in the statement of receipts and payment was the result of a "typographical error,” he said.
The governor’s statement that the puzzle was either a "typing" or a "computer" error caused a storm. Senators demanded to know the persons and qualifications of those in charge of managing county funds.
“We have every reason to believe that this money was pocketed. You cannot convince this committee that it was an error. There is something you are hiding in the statements,” committee chairman Moses Kajwang said.
“What’s the competence of your officials in financial reporting?” he asked.
The governor was also pressed to explain the spending at the source of Sh13 million of the Sh40 million collected internally to pay revenue collectors.
But the committee questioned how the county could spend Sh13 million of the total collection to pay collectors.
The former Tana River Council is said to have paid revenue collectors 15 per cent of total collections.
“Even if we are to say 15 per cent, the amount that has been deducted here is 32 per cent and it was spent at the source. This is against the law. There must be a surcharge here. This money must be recovered,” Kajwang said.