A former county accountant has lost two apartment blocks, a five-bedroom townhouse, seven parcels of land, two cars and more than KSh53 million in bank and M-PESA deposits after a court ordered the forfeiture of assets worth KSh207.7 million to the government.
In a statement on October 21, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said it had secured the forfeiture order against the former accountant, who worked at the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation and the County Government of Trans Nzoia.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has obtained orders for the forfeiture to the Government of Kenya of assets worth KES 207,741,928 held by a former accountant at the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation and the County Government of Trans Nzoia,” EACC said.
In a judgment delivered on October 8, Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court Judge Rose Ougo ruled that the former accountant had failed to satisfactorily explain the difference between the value of his assets and his known legitimate sources of income.
The assets include two five-storey apartment blocks in Mtwapa, Mombasa County, a five-bedroom townhouse in the same area and seven undeveloped parcels of land in Mombasa and Bungoma counties.
The properties were valued at KSh150.2 million, and the two motor vehicles at KSh4 million. The court also ordered the forfeiture of cumulative bank and M-PESA deposits amounting to KSh53,532,910.
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How the Former Accountant Accumulated the Wealth
EACC investigations established that the former accountant accumulated assets worth KSh289.9 million between January 1, 2013, and October 31, 2018.
The assets comprised KSh53.5 million in cumulative bank and M-PESA deposits, landed properties valued at KSh226.8 million and motor vehicles worth KSh9.6 million.
EACC moved to court under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA) to recover assets the former accountant could not explain based on his known legitimate income.
“The Commission instituted proceedings under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA) to recover KES 284,087,664 in assets deemed disproportionate to his known legitimate sources of income, which he could not satisfactorily explain,” stated EACC.
The commission sought to recover KSh284,087,664, but the court ordered the forfeiture of assets worth KSh207,741,928 after finding that the former accountant had failed to satisfactorily explain their source.
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EACC Recovers Hundreds of Millions in Separate Case
The latest ruling follows another major asset forfeiture case the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) announced in September involving a former government official and associates.
In a statement issued on September 25, the commission said the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court had ordered the forfeiture of assets worth KSh426.85 million to the government in a judgment delivered on September 18.
The assets included KSh233.58 million held in bank accounts and M-PESA wallets, making up a substantial portion of the wealth covered by the court order.
The forfeiture also included properties valued at KSh177.11 million in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kilifi counties. The order further covered vehicles valued at KSh11.9 million and KSh4.26 million in cash recovered during a search operation.
The properties included Bantu Hotel along Kangundo Road in Nairobi, valued at KSh107.7 million. The hotel accounted for the largest share of the property value listed in the case.
Other properties included the Saro Wiwa apartment block in Utawala, Nairobi, valued at KSh35 million, and a penthouse in Mombasa worth KSh19 million.
The forfeiture order also covered 11 parcels of land in Kilifi and Thika, collectively valued at KSh15.41 million.
In the judgment, Justice B.M. Musyoki of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court found that the former public officer and associates had failed to satisfactorily explain the difference between the assets they acquired and their known legitimate sources of income.
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