Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives have arrested Garissa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Mohamud Dubow Korane and two former county officials in connection with fraudulent payments amounting to Ksh51,495,516.
In a statement on Monday, February 23, EACC said the three suspects were arrested on Sunday, February 22 and are scheduled to be arraigned before the Garissa Law Courts for plea taking.
The other two suspects are Mohamud Dubow Korane, former Director of Accounting Services in Garissa County, and Yussuf Bethe Ali, former Senior Principal Economist in Garissa County.
According to EACC, the fraudulent payments were made to Qorjarey Enterprise and General Supplies Limited for goods and services that were never delivered.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested three senior officials of the County Government of Garissa to be arraigned before Court over fraudulent payments amounting to Ksh51,495,516 made to a private company, namely Qorjarey Enterprise and General Supplies Limited, for goods and services not delivered during the financial years 2021/2022 and 2022-2023,” EACC stated.
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The commission observed that the payments were made for the supply of emergency relief food items and water trucking services, which were not delivered to the Garissa County Government.
Investigations established that Qorjarey Enterprise and General Supplies Limited was not pre-qualified as a supplier for the financial years 2021/2022 and 2022/202,3 and documents were forged to facilitate and support the irregular payments.
Korane and Ali were also found to have processed and approved the payments without following procurement procedures.
“Upon conclusion of investigations, the Commission forwarded the investigation file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who upon independent review, concurred with EACC’s recommendation to charge the three suspects,” EACC stated.
The trio will be charged with conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, abuse of office, forgery and fraudulent acquisition of public property
Further, the commission said it will institute a civil suit to recover the unlawful payments from the three suspects.
This comes weeks after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga ordered the prosecution of 5 former Homa Bay County officials and a private company in connection with procurement irregularities amounting to Ksh348,927,840.
DPP Ingonga issued the directive after reviewing an inquiry file submitted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the suspects irregularly issued a tender for the construction of the Homa Bay County Assembly office block to a company linked to one of the county employees.
The suspects include: Odhiambo Daniel Kaudo, Fath Adhiambo Apuko, Patrick Tunoi, Roseline Anyango Odhiambo, Mary Pauline Oduor and Hartland Enterprises Limited Director James Mumali Oyuka.
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