Mathira constituency residents staged protests castigating area Member of Parliament Rigathi Gachagua moments after he was arrested by Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officers.
Gachagua was arrested in his Nyeri home by detectives attached to DCI over Sh12 billion graft early today morning.
Confirming his arrest, Gachagua posted on his Facebook account claiming that the government was unhappy with the loss of the Kiambaa by-election.
“Though I played a minimal role, I had no vote. Will you arrest all voters of Kiambaa? Kiambaa was just a tip of the iceberg, the handshake state faces a humiliating defeat in 2022. In the fullness of time my innocence will be pronounced. I am not cowed or intimidated,” he said.
However, the residents dismissed assertions by Gachagua that he is being politically persecuted for his support for Deputy President William Ruto adding that he should carry his in cross.
The youths lit bonfires and blocked vehicles using tyres and rocks within the area.
The police have restored calm in the area and have beefed up security struggling to remove the blockade.
According to Gachagua, two dozen of DCI officers raided his Nyeri home and arrested him to face trumped up charges of money laundering.
“I am being driven to Nairobi at reckless speed to spend the weekend in the cells. I am happy it is finally over. It has been two years of hell; being arrested and released, writing countless statements, being prosecuted in the media, intimidation and harassment to me and family,” he stated.
“I am happy I now have a chance to be vindicated in a court of law as our courts are independent. To our tormentors and persecutors, you only have one year remaining. We shall have a new democratic Government that does not use the criminal justice system to manage politics.”
This comes weeks after The Informer revealed how detectives trained their guns to unravel how two privately owned commercial banks could have facilitated suspicious transactions in the ongoing Sh12 billion graft probe against the controversial Gachagua without making mandatory disclosures to the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC).
The role played by Equity Bank, Rafiki Microfinance Bank and a profiled professional lady banker in one of the two financial institutions will expose the web-like flow of cash riddle involving at least forty companies associated to the MP either directly or through proxies.
Investigators attached to the DCI were probing what is believed to be a complex money laundering scheme.
“Investigations are at an advanced stage.” A senior detective intimated.
The Informer established that most of the monies in question have been traced back to at least four counties; Nyeri, Kisii, and Kwale counties, Mathira National Government-CDF, Tana Athi River Development Authority (TARDA), Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the State Department of Environment.
However, the fiery politician has in the past been on record dismissing the allegations as far-fetched political witch-hunt.
The detectives have unearthed a trail of cases where loans were purportedly acquired to cover up for funds received from government entities.
“However, these loans have been used to cover-up for funds received from government departments or inter-company transfers in a bid to conceal the ultimate beneficiaries of funds.” A preliminary investigation report says in part.
According to detectives, it was difficult to ascertain whether the companies made any supplies to some counties as the bank accounts made minimal or no payments to suppliers, which is normal for any transaction.
The detectives have also raised the possibility of the lawmaker using kick-backs or payments to influence award of lucrative tenders in counties, particularly in Nyeri.
One of the companies of interest is Asoma Enterprises, which is owned by a salonist, Julia Muthoni Mwangi, who was an employee of Gachagua at his Ellison Hair dressing based at the Anniversary Towers in Nairobi.
Muthoni also opened a cleaning company, Klinshine Limited, which used to clean Gachagua’s office. Asoma Enterprises won several tenders in Nyeri county government including upgrading Thungari dispensary bridge road, upgrading of Karafani-Gatome road, and installation of culverts at Charity-Manooro road, among many others.
Others are Blueline Suppliers, Skytop Agencies, Encartar Diagnostics Ltd,Jenne Enterprises, Upperdeck Agencies, Neema Construction Ltd, Techno Venture Ltd and Machine Centre Ltd among others.