Economy

Treasury official in Sh36m EACC probe seeks out-of-court deal

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Ms Tracy Njoki Kinge. PHOTO | POOL

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and a Treasury official suspected of embezzling more than Sh36 million from the government are exploring an out-of-court settlement in a case filed by the agency seeking the forfeiture of the millions.

Appearing before the Anti-Corruption court on Tuesday morning, EACC informed Justice Esther Maina that talks have been ongoing between them and Tracy Njoki Kinge.

The court heard that the parties needed at least 30 days to finalise the discussions.

Last November, the court barred Ms Kinge from selling or transferring two parcels of land in Nairobi and Naivasha, suspected to have been acquired using the funds siphoned from the Treasury on the pretext of facilitation and extraneous allowances.

Read: Treasury official barred from selling prime land in Nairobi and Naivasha

The court also froze two of her accounts holding close to Sh20 million to allow the EACC to probe the source of the funds.

Ms Kinge is yet to file her defence in the matter.

“The matter will be mentioned on March 8 to confirm whether the parties have reached an out-of-court settlement,” Justice Maina directed.

Evidence filed by EACC in court shows that Ms Kinge acquired a plot in Dagoretti for Sh5.9 million and another in Naivasha for Sh2.6 million, and the EACC wants the properties forfeited to the state.

Ms Kinge has worked as a finance officer II at the Treasury since 2020, with a net salary of Sh50,954. Before that, she worked at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Co-operatives.

The commission was allowed to investigate her accounts and discovered that besides her salary, she had received a total of Sh24.1 million between February 2020 and March last year.

She allegedly purchased one-year Treasury bills worth Sh5 million from the money, leaving a balance of Sh2.8 million in the account at Co-operative Bank.

Read: Treasury employee in Sh37m probe wired cash to T-Bills, fixed deposit

Further evidence allegedly revealed that she received Sh11.9 million between February and June last year in her I&M Bank account, titled extraneous and facilitation allowances, yet there have been no withdrawals.

Ms Kinge later transferred Sh5 million and Sh6 million to different fixed deposit accounts in the same bank. According to the anti-graft body, she withdrew a total of Sh450,000, leaving a balance of Sh402,455 in the account.

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