Whatever a private businessman does with a private bank is private – Khalwale on Ruto’s Ksh15b loan claim
Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has urged members of parliament to remain profession in the roles assigned to them, which he says is to audit the expenditure of public funds.
In an interview with K24 TV, Khalwale said whatever a private businessman engaged in while dealing with a private institution remained a private affair and Parliament can only come in when there is a case of contraband and money laundering.
"A private businessman, dealing with a private institution called Equity bank; whatever they do, is private," he said.
His sentiments come days after Equity bank disowned claims by Deputy President William Ruto that it issued a ksh15 billion loan to Harun Aydin, the controversial Turkish national who was deported from the country over money laundering allegations.
‘’If the Deputy President who is a businessman makes a call to support an East African businessman, what's illegal about it?" Khalwale posed.
Khalwalwe further said the submissions submitted before the Finance and National Planning Committee of the National Assembly do not contradict the DP in any way and that it was the media sensationalising the story.
"It's the media that has been saying Ruto went and picked 15B for this Turkish businessman, the bank has clarified that," he said.
"The bank’s management told a parliamentary committee that at no time did the Deputy President ever call the facility requesting it to advance the loan to the foreigner," he said.
However, during an interview with a local radio station, Ruto claimed he had, through a single phone call, helped Aydin secure the loan from the bank for the construction of a pharmaceutical company in Uganda.
Aydin has since been deported for allegedly engaging in money laundering activities.
