Prison cleaner Eric Kipkurui Mutai is on the spot for allegedly receiving Sh257 million from the State Department for Correctional Services.
Mutai is said to have withdrawn a sum of Sh133 million in cash for undisclosed objectives, he later purchased the said properties in Kericho/Kipchimchim, which he registered in his father’s name.
According to court documents filed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the money had been obtained by Mutai, through seven trading companies that reportedly did business with Nairobi prisons. The payment was wired to his bank accounts opened in 2016 and 2017.
Unique Supplies was awarded Sh73 million, Homex Logistics was awarded Sh62 million, Hygienic Ventures was awarded Sh51 million, Nerimas General Agencies was awarded Sh22 million, White Unicorn Logistics was awarded Sh10 million, Trechris Services was awarded Sh13. 6 million, and Facton Logistics was awarded Sh13 million.
The defendant credited an amount of Sh6 million into the accounts of Signature Cars through Fatcon Logistics after purchasing a vehicle and paying Sh675,110 to Jubilee Insurance, according to court documents.
The documents also indicate Mutai used Sh8.5 million from Unique Supplies to buy a house for colleague Moses Sirengo (principal accountant) from the Housing Finance Company of Kenya.
Mutai is also claimed to have paid Sh15 million for commercial premises and land to Mathew Kirago and Koskey Cheruiyot (Sh2 million) and Ephraim Wanjohi (Sh5 million).
For the sale of a motor vehicle, KAMI Ltd received Sh2.1 million, while Signature Cars received Sh800,110.
Mutai paid Erick Chumba Sh1.8 million, Kirago another Sh15 million, and Wanjohi another Sh5 million for commercial premises through Homex Logistics.
After the sale of a commercial vehicle, DT Dobie and CO.Ke Ltd were apparently paid Sh10.1 million, while Joseph Ndung’u was reportedly given Sh750,000 for an unspecified service or item. Mutai also paid Sh6.4 million to Toyota Kenya for a car.
The suspect is said to have given Wanjohi an additional Sh7.5 million for company premises through Hygienic Ventures, while Kirago received an additional Sh13 million for the business property through Hygienic Ventures.
Executive Super Rides Ltd was given Sh3.3 million for a business motor, Koskey Cheruiyot Sh1 million as a plot deposit, and Jubilee Insurance another Sh675,110, according to the anti-corruption body.
Mutai traded with his employer and collected a total of Sh257,220,500 in irregular payments for products not supplied, according to EACC investigations.
“He forged documents in order to get an advantage for himself and his colleague, Moses Sirengo.” In court filings,” the EACC claims that he “abused his office by bestowing an advantage to himself”.
This is, however, not the first-time correctional services are in the spotlight.
Early last month EACC had flagged eighteen firms allegedly involved in suspected ‘air food supply’ in at least seven prison facilities across the country worth Sh460 million.
The anti-graft czar said the fraud was executed through bogus food supply tender and payments effected.
According to reports, the State Department of Correctional Services awarded tenders to eighteen companies to supply food to Lang’ata Women’s Prison, Kamiti Medium Prison, Kamiti Youth Correctional Training Centre, Borstral Institution, Nairobi Remand Prison, and Nairobi West Prison.
This could show a tendency by employees of the service to loot and purchase commodities for personal gain.
