Companies

NYS supply firm seeks access to millions in frozen account

nys

Assets Recovery Agency director Muthoni Kimani. FILE PHOTO | NMG

A firm whose bank account was frozen over alleged embezzlement of funds at the National Youth Service (NYS) has moved to court seeking orders to access the blocked funds.

Advance Quick Fit Ltd, which claims to have supplied motor vehicle tyres and spare parts to the NYS between 2015 and 2017, claims that it engaged in “clean dealings” and should be allowed to access its cash.

The firm’s account is among 113 others in 13 different banks that have been frozen as detectives seek to protect taxpayers’ cash siphoned from the NYS.

“I have all the documents showing that I was doing clean business with National Youth Service since 2015...The amount of money in my account are proceeds of genuine business I conducted with National Youth Service from the year 2015 to date,” says director of the firm Seme Mochoge in court filings.

He said he only learnt that Asset Recovery Agency had obtained orders freezing his accounts when he visited his bank to make transactions.

Mr Mochoge said he registered his company in 2012 and he approached the NYS in 2014 to seek to be given a supplies contract.

He landed his first business in December 2015 when the institution issued him a quotation forms to fill.

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Tyres and spare parts

Subsequently, in 2015 and 2016, Mr Mochoge claims to have supplied tyres and spare parts worth about Sh19.4 million, and delivered a further supply of Sh36 million in 2016 and last year.

He said the NYS is yet to settle the Sh36 million outstanding bill.

Mr Mochoge said no criminal charges had been preferred against him or his company.

He said the State agency had not given him any reason for freezing his account and asked the High Court to lift the orders.

The Assets Recovery Agency obtained orders to freeze the account on June 6.

The agency told the court that it received information on April 26 that the funds had been siphoned from the NYS fraudulently through a collusion between staff and the suppliers.

The agency said the suppliers were paid through accounts in different banks for services and goods that they did not deliver, terming the cash as “proceeds of crime”.