Detectives have now trained their guns to unravel how two privately owned commercial banks could have facilitated suspicious transactions in the ongoing Sh12billion graft probe against the controversial Mathira legislator Rigathi Gachagua without making mandatory disclosures to the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), The Informer can authoritatively reveal.
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 Member of Parliament (MP) either directly or through proxies.
Investigators attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) are probing what is believed to be a complex money laundering scheme.
“Investigations are at an advanced stage.” A senior detective intimated.
The Informer has 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.