•EACC states that they received information regarding allegations of embezzlement of public funds and abuse of office by the four treasury officers through fraudulent extraneous and facilitation allowances.
• Last month, the Commission led by Twalib Mbarak, received orders to freeze Sh18 million obtained in a suspicious manner.
Image: FILE
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) obtained orders on Wednesday to freeze Sh37.3 million belonging to four officers working at the National Treasury.
The four employees, three females and one male are facing allegations of embezzlement of public funds.
Last month, the Commission led by Twalib Mbarak, received orders to freeze Sh18 million obtained in a suspicious manner.
The Commission obtained the order to freeze her money across various accounts in I&M and Cooperative Banks, pending the conclusion of investigations.
EACC states that they received information regarding allegations of embezzlement of public funds and abuse of office by the four treasury officers through fraudulent extraneous and facilitation allowances.
One of the accused, who is a 57 year old female, earns an average monthly salary of Sh 188,000 thus Sh 5.6 million over six months from January 2020 to June 2022.
However, during the same period, EACC claims she recived Sh53.15 million as imprests, facilitation and extraneous allowance.
“On 5th July 2022, the EACC obtained warrants to investigate her bank account number 0823986270 held at ABSA Bank Kenya PLC, where she is the sole signatory, vide Milimani Miscellaneous Application Number E2293 of 2022,” says EACC.
An analysis by the commission revealed M-Pesa withdrawals in batches averaging Sh100,000 and Sh50,000 and several cheque withdrawals of amounts between SH500,000 and Sh900,000 leaving a balance of Sh8,550,920.30 as of July 6 2022.
Another official accused is a 51 year old man who holds the position of an accountant.
Despite him earning a basic monthly salary of Sh41,000 from January 2020 to Jun 2022 he received Sh24.75million as imprests, facilitation and extraneous allowance.
After obtaining the go ahead to investigate on July 5, 2022 EACC looked into his bank account number 0120100294747 held in his name at Equity Bank (Kenya), where he is the sole signatory, vide Milimani Miscellaneous Application Number E2299 of 2022.
It was revealed that the bank accountant had M-Pesa withdrawals and several cheque and cash withdrawals leaving a balance of Sh11,078million as of that date.
Another accused officer is a 35 year old female Principal Finance Officer who had been promoted to the position with effect from December 2, 2021
However, on March 8, 2022, she was re-deployed to the Equalization Fund.
Earning an average monthly salary of Sh71,000 in the period under investigation, she received a Sh79.56 million as imprests, facilitation and extraneous allowance
After obtaining investigation warrants regarding her back accounts, it was established that M-Pesa withdrawals were made leaving a balance of Sh 8.76 million in KCB Bank account number 1237040787 having Sh6.3 million and Equity Bank account number 0240194939223.
However, further analysis of her bank statement reveals that between July 6-8, 2022 Sh12.4 million was transferred to Serena Suites Court Limited and later to Brunell Construction Company Limited between June 14 2022 and July 8 2022.
Lastly, a female accountant aged 54 years having been promoted to the position on December 2, 2020 earns an average monthly Sh59,000.
However, in the period under investigation she received Sh20.2 million as imprests, facilitation and extraneous allowance.
After the anti-graft commission obtained warrants to investigate her bank account number 01243031860800 held at National Bank of Kenya, it was indicated that M-Pesa withdrawals had been made and several cheque and cash withdrawals leaving a balance of Sh8.95 million as of July 7, 2022.