Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested former Isiolo South Member of Parliament (MP) Abdi Tepo and his wife Halima Gura Roka following a sting operation. During the raid, the couple was found in possession of fake U.S. dollar notes.
EACC in a statement on Thursday, July 25, 2024, said that the former MP and his wife are being held at the EACC Police Station in Nairobi after detectives recovered fake U.S. dollars, estimated to be worth millions in Kenyan Shillings, at their residence on Thursday.
According to the Anti-graft commission, detectives were investigating fraudulent payments, amounting to Ksh199 million, made to Medical Centre and Beirut Pharmacy in Eastleigh by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) between 2021 and 2023. Halima Gura Roka is a Quality Assurance Officer at the defunct NHIF.
During the operation, detectives recovered two briefcases full of US dollars, estimated to be in millions, and assorted chemicals (in powder and liquid form) suspected to be used for making fake notes.
Former lawmaker Tepo reportedly cocked and readied his Ceska handgun when EACC detectives arrived at his residence, but later allowed them access to the premises.
Former Isiolo MP Caught with Fake Notes
“The couple was arrested on Thursday afternoon after the MP purported to open fire at EACC detectives who had gone to his residence for a search operation targeting his wife, a prime suspect in the multi-million NHIF graft scandal under investigation by the Commission.
In the course of the exercise at Halima Gura Roka, her husband who is a former Member of Parliament of Isiolo South, Abdi K. Tepo, cocked his Ceska pistol on hearing the search team at his door,” read part of the statement.”
“Upon allowing access to the house and identification by the search team, the team proceeded with the search and recovered several items among them a Ceska Pistol Serial No. C561078 with an expired firearm permit.”
According to EACC, the samples of the notes tested at the EACC Integrated Financial Forensic Lab were fake.
The Anti-graft commission added that the OCS EACC Police Station handed over the former MP, his wife, and various recovered items to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
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“OCS EACC Police Station handed over the former MP, his wife, and various recovered items, including the fake notes, Ceska Pistol with an expired firearm permit, and assorted chemicals, to the DCI under whose jurisdiction the matter lies,” the statement adds.
EACC Conducts Operation
The detectives conducted searches at the residences of Beirut directors Yussuf Maalim Haret, Mohamed Bare Abdille, Virginia Nduku Ngemu, Ubah Hussein Abdi, and Beirut Hospital Administrator Oscar Mburu Murigi.
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They also searched the homes of NHIF officials and Halima Gura Roka (NHIF Quality Assurance Officer) and Amran Mohammed Ali (NHIF Branch Manager Eastleigh).
“The operation targeted seven prime suspects in the NHIF scam, including the MP’s wife, a former NHIF Quality Assurance Officer, the Eastleigh NHIF Branch Manager, and 5 Directors of Beirut Pharmacy which fraudulently obtained Kes.199 million from NHIF through fictitious claims facilitated by the NHIF officials,” said EACC.
According to the Anti-graft Commission, the counterfeit dollars have been transferred to advance a criminal case against the couple.
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