House team directs Boinnet to arrest NYS scam suspect
What you need to know:
She was expected to appear before PAC at 10 a.m. to shed light on transactions involving companies associated with her.
The three companies — Form Homes Builders, Reinforced Concrete Technologies and Roof and All Trading — received millions of shillings in two tranches from the NYS.
The House committee wanted Ms Kabura to confirm whether she owns the firms, how she clinched multibillion tenders and bank statements for all the transactions.
Parliament has directed the Inspector General of Police (IG) Joseph Boinett to immediately arrest businesswoman Josephine Kabura after she failed to appear before MPs to answer questions over the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) issued the summonses after Ms Kabura failed to honour the third invitation to testify.
PAC chairman Nicholas Gumbo told MPs that despite the House inviting Ms Kabura thrice, the businesswoman - who received the entire Sh791 million and a further Sh605 million from NYS - had failed to honour the invitations.
She was expected to appear before PAC at 10 a.m. to shed light on transactions involving companies associated with her.
The three companies — Form Homes Builders, Reinforced Concrete Technologies and Roof and All Trading — received millions of shillings from the NYS.
The House committee wanted Ms Kabura to confirm whether she owns the firms, how she clinched multibillion tenders and present bank statements for all the transactions.
The businesswoman and her co-accused, Ben Gethi, transacted the money through an account operated by Ogolla and Company Advocates.
“We have got a letter from Abwoutha and Omino advocates authored by lawyer FI Omino saying that he is unable to trace his client to have her appear before this committee,” Mr Gumbo said.
MPs resolved that the committee invokes Article 125(1) of the Constitution to compel Ms Kabura's attendance.
The Constitution gives Parliament and any of its committees powers similar to that of the High Court in enforcing attendance and production of documents.
“I suggest that we issue summonses and write to the Inspector General to search and arrest Ms Kabura and present her before PAC within the next 24 Hours,” Balambala MP Abdikadir Aden said.
PAC vice chairperson Jackson Rop ruled that the letter to Mr Boinett be issued today (Tuesday).
“Let one Ms Josephine Kabura be arrested and brought before this committee by end of the week. We will immediately issue the letter to the IG today to effect the summonses pursuant to Article 125,” he said.
Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire wondered why Ms Kabura had decided to conduct herself with impunity given that she is an "ordinary person".
“We have summoned very big people in government. Why would Ms Kabura, who is an ordinary citizen, conduct herself with impunity by ignoring our three invitations? It appears that she has discretion to appear in court and not Parliament,” he said.
PAC rejected Ms Kabura’s advocate’s plea to have the meeting pushed to November 11.
The advocate had claimed that he would be meeting Ms Kabura in court on November 7 where her money laundering case is expected to be heard for four consecutive days.
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