More than Ksh.30 billion could have been embezzled in the edible oil scam; EACC
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EACC to question top government officials believed to have embezzled more than Ksh.30 billion in edible oil scam
EACC to question top government officials believed to have embezzled more than Ksh.30 billion in edible oil scam.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) now estimates that the total amount of taxpayer funds embezzled in the edible oil scandal may exceed Ksh.30 billion and not just the Ksh.16.5 billion as earlier indicated.
In its investigation into the scheme, the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment bemoaned the willful frustrations of officials at the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) and its parent Trade ministry.
Senior government officials are the target of detectives from the DCI and EACC as they are thought to have been involved in the multi-billion shilling theft.
The alleged embezzlement is believed to have taken place through the irregular award of tenders for supply and delivery of food commodities.
“We are investigating to establish what happened, who were involved, and how much money was lost,” said EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak.
EACC added that it will go after private, public, and proxy companies in the multi-billion shilling scandal. It has so far questioned the procurement heads among other senior officers drawn from KNTC lined up for grilling.
On a fact-finding assignment on Thursday, the Senate Committee on Trade and Investments was unable to advance as the witnesses needed to provide light on the multibillion scam did not show up.
Now that government authorities have refused to respond to their questions, the legislators said they will turn to the suppliers engaged in the controversial imports to get their explanations.
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“We will summon suppliers to this committee…they should come with documents on what they supplied and how much they were paid,” Kiambu Senator Karungu wa Thang’wa said.
“The entire management of KNTC is not here…we are rescheduling this meeting again, and please note we are not just joking, we need time with you and we need seriousness.”
However, documents filed before the Senate indicated that KNTC single-sourced the companies contracted to import some 125,000 metric tonnes of the edible oil and set higher prices as opposed to what had been initially agreed on.
KNTC awarded Multi-Commerce FCZ a Ksh.8.12 billion tender to supply vegetable oil and Shehena Company Limited to supply jerrycans of edible oil at Ksh.1.33 billion.
On its part, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) facilitated the subsequent imports. The National Treasury later issued a circular indicating the quantities of edible oils to be imported.
The consignment included 125,000 metric tonnes and jerricans, which meant that 6.9 million 20-litre jerricans were imported.
However, three single administrative documents currently with the investigators each have different entries showing the discrepancies.
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