Court freezes Ksh28M linked to KNH CEO in corruption case
Embattled Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) CEO Evanson Kamuri who had been arrested yesterday afternoon over allegations of corruption has suffered yet another blow after a Nairobi court has issued orders freezing 28 million corruptly acquired from the hospital.
In ruling deliver by Milimani Chief Magistrate Calessa Okore granted the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission request to freeze Kamuri’s cash amounting to Sh28 million held in two bank accounts held at HFC Bank for a period of 21 days pending investigations over allegations corruption and economic crimes involving Sh634,465,000.
“An order freezing Sh10 million and Sh18 million domiciled at Housing Finance company for a period of 21 days to enable the commission to complete investigations before instituting recovery proceedings,” the Magistrate ordered.
The court also granted EACC investigator Paul Mugwe to conduct probe into the two accounts belonging to the KNH boss by scrutinizing the original account opening documents, bankers books, original cheques, mandate cards, transactions slips, disbursement authorizations, large transactions forms and statements for the period from January 1, 2019 to date.
The anti-graft body sought the orders arguing that preliminary investigations have established that Kamuri who was arrested following a raid at his resident has accumulated wealth that is not commensurate with his known legitimate source.
“There exists significant disproportion between his assets and or wealth and his legitimate source of income to a tune of Ksh 800 million,” EACC told the court.
When seeking the freezing orders, the commission stated that KNH CEO has been involved in corruption and or economic crimes and there was need to avert dissipation of the funds believed to be public resources.
Abuse of office
The Commission is investigating allegations that Kamuri has engaged in abuse of office, conflict of interest and irregular award of tenders worth Sh634,465,000 to companies associated with him.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that Kamuri, in his capacity as the CEO of KNH engaged in abuse of office, conflict of interest and procurement irregularities in the award of tender for supply and installation testing and commissioning of medical oxygen generating plant and a second tender for Support of Enterprise Resources Planning System and support hardware and software components at the hospital to Biomax Africa limited,” reads the court papers.
Hours after the court issued the orders investigative agency detectives raided KNH boss premises and properties in a bide to get valuable evidentiary material that will support the ongoing investigations.
The commission has however confirm that CEO who had been arrested following the raid has released from EACC Integrity Centre Offices after recording a statement.
The EACC says that KNH CEO case is part of wider investigations targeting various state corporations where some public officials are embezzling public funds thereby compromising delivery of essential services to the citizenry.
