NYS scam suspect accuses Waiguru of influencing probe

What you need to know:

Ben Gethi claims former Devolution Secretary Ann Waiguru was privy to information on the ongoing investigations based on regular briefings she received from the Banking Fraud Investigation Department.

Controversial businessman Ben Gethi has claimed that former Devolution Secretary Ann Waiguru interfered with investigations into the theft of Sh791 million at the National Youth Service (NYS) to deter police from nabbing culprits.

Mr Gethi, who appeared before Parliament on Tuesday, said Ms Waiguru was privy to information on the ongoing investigations based on regular briefings she received from the Banking Fraud Investigation Department (BFID).

The privileged information allowed her to interfere with the investigations, he said.

Ms Waiguru, in an affidavit filed in court in February, claimed that Deputy President William Ruto’s personal assistant was a close associate of Mr Gethi and were together part of a larger cartel that stole millions of shillings from the NYS through fraudulent tendering deals.

Mr Ruto’s personal assistant is known as Farouk Kibet.

“I can deduce that Ms Waiguru was interfering with investigations and her stating the same shows a biased opinion meant to sway decisions on the theft of Sh791 million,” he told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Ms Waiguru said in her affidavit that Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen also visited her office on several occasions in a bid to convince her to influence the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) to stop the probe into the missing funds.

“For Ann Waiguru to impute that Senator Murkomen, a partner in the law firm that represents me, was my point-man outside court is completely misleading,” said Mr Gethi.

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The former Devolution CS resigned in November and linked the move to medical advice, adding that unsubstantiated allegations linking her to corruption at her ministry and the NYS had taken a toll on her health. She is seeking to be governor of Kirinyaga County.

Mr Gethi denied a role in the loss of Sh791 million at the NYS, arguing that his firm, Horizon Limited, supplied the youth agency with fuel and not building materials which were linked to the theft of the millions of shillings.

He declined to provide details of where he sourced the oil and lubricants for the NYS contracts that he inked in 2014.

He said the huge sums deposited and withdrawn from his company account on the same day was common practice in business.

“The linkages provided to the NYS are flawed and I can prove the signatures on the deposit and the withdrawal bank slips were not similar,” he said.