Artist's impression of the first three berths of Lamu Port. A judge sitting in Malindi has frozen the bank accounts of eight people following claims that they were irregularly compensated for land earmarked for the Sh1.5 trillion Lamu Port project. FILE PHOTO |
What you need to know:
Bank accounts of eight individuals compensated for Lapsset project have been frozen by the High Court.
The eight are among 154 people who received Sh860 million from the government as compensation for their land earmarked for the Sh1.5 trillion project.
Last week, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) moved to the High Court and successfully secured orders freezing bank accounts of the eight suspects.
A senior Kenya Ports Authority official, a wife of a senior administrator with the national government and four relatives of a Lamu county official are among eight individuals whose accounts have been frozen by the High Court following claims that they were corruptly compensated in the multi-billion shilling Lamu Port and South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) project.
They are among 154 people who received Sh860 million from the government as compensation for their land earmarked for the Sh1.5 trillion project.
The Business Daily could not immediately establish the identity of the rest of the suspects.
The agency is contemplating making more applications for account freezes this week against more suspects, with sources indicating that it is targeting senior State officials, several Lamu politicians and local businessmen among others.
Last week, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) moved to the High Court and successfully secured orders freezing bank accounts of the eight suspects.
Justice Said Chitembwe sitting in Malindi issued the order prohibiting the suspects, their agents or servants from transferring the money amounting to over Sh100 million paid to them as compensation.
The judge directed that the bank accounts be frozen for a period of six months when EACC is expected to conclude its investigations.
The orders issued during an ex-parte hearing were issued against Mahmoud Hassan Ali who received Sh6 million for 1.659 hectares of land around Lamu port site area of Kililana.
Others include Samia Mohamed Abdu (Sh5.7 million for 1.5459 hectares of land), Mariam Athman Hassan,(Sh13 million for 3.559 hectares of land) and Kalathum Mohamed Ahmed (Sh30 million for 8.194 hectares of land).
Similarly, Ms Ahmed’s husband, Mohamed Abdereheman who was not in the list of those compensated had his bank account frozen after money was transferred into his account from his wife’s account.
Ms Hassan’s second bank account she jointly held with Mohamed Sizi Famao was frozen with Sh23 million as compensation for 12.94 hectares of land.
The High Court has also frozen, Fauzi Mohammed Famau’s bank account with ABC Bank Lamu branch which had Sh39 million and the cash meant to be shared equally with another person for 10.646 hectares of land.
Mohammed Bwanamkuu Ali’s ABC Lamu branch bank account with Sh24 million as compensation for 6.729 hectares size of land has also been frozen.
EACC was also granted an authority to search each of the eight accounts during the six months freezing period as part of its investigations.
“The applicant is mandated to investigate any matter arising suspicion of conduct constituting corruption and economic crime,” read the court document.
EACC investigators stated that the respondents received the payments from Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) through the National Lands Commission on the pretext of being Project Affected Persons.
They further stated that they received information that the eight individuals “did not own any land around the Lapsett project area.
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