The Government has seized property worth multi-millions from a former chief accountant of the Treasury who was involved in the Anglo-leasing scandal.
The state confiscated his five cars, four apartments in Nairobi, his residential home, and nine parcels of land in Machakos and Kajiado.
High Court Judge Justice Mumbi Ngugi ruled that Patrick Ochieno Abachi failed to account for the source of his wealth, ordering that they be surrendered to the state.
File image of Integrity Centre which houses the EACC offices. |Photo| Courtesy|
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Abachi's loss marks the first seizure of property linked to the Anglo-leasing scandal in which the State awarded Ksh70 billion in tenders to non-existent firms.
"I am satisfied with the evidence placed before me by the plaintiff (EACC) that the 1st defendant (Abachi) has unexplained assets within the meaning of Section 2 of ACECA," Justice Ngugi stated.
"The assets are not commensurate with his known legitimate source of income, which was his salary. In my circumstances, I am constrained to find that the assets, the subject of this, are unexplained assets," She ruled.
The assets lost include nine parcels of land in Mavoko and Kitengela, a four bedroomed house in Mavoko, and four apartments in Parkview Estate in Nairobi's South C area.
Abachi also has a house in Mugoya Estate and property in Mombasa's Nyali area.
The court ordered that he surrender the amount of money in three accounts and Ksh1.99 million in hard cash previously seized from his house.
Evidence presented before the court revealed that Abachi accumulated his wealth within five years of working at the Treasury since joining in 2003.
He made the switch from the Ministry of Agriculture where he earned a gross salary of Ksh54,000 per month.
The Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) established that Abachi was directly involved in the Anglo-Leasing scandal by authorising the payments to ghost companies.
By 2008, he had accumulated wealth worth in excess of Ksh80 million registered in his name, children, relatives, and companies in which he is the major shareholder.
