Economy

How Ngiritas looted Sh227m from NYS

ngiritAS

Anne Ngirita at the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 during the hearing of a case where she and others are charged with stealing Sh468 million from the National Youth Service. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO. | NMG

The prosecution Wednesday detailed in court how the Ngirita family were paid Sh226.9 million from the National Youth Service (NYS) without supplying a single item or service.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Gitonga Riungu said there was proof the family never tendered for the goods and services they allegedly supplied.

At the accounts department, payment would be logged in as due to the suppliers, and a chain of approvals sought from former finance director Wellington Lubira, senior assistant accountant general Sammy Mwangi, NYS director-general Richard Ndubai and finally to sacked Public Service PS Ms Lillian Omollo ahead of payment, the prosecution said.

It said that no procurement was undertaken at NYS and the alleged goods and services supplied, was “air”.

Mssrs Lubira, Mr Mwangi, Mr Ndubai and Ms Omollo are among civil servants and business people charged with theft of public funds through fictitious invoices for goods such as firewood and stationery as well as multiple payments on one supplier invoice.

Taking advantage

Mr Riungu told Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti that the suspects took advantage of the Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) to facilitate the crimes.

AGPO was meant to give opportunities to vulnerable people including women, the youth and the disabled. The government had reserved 30 percent of all procurements to the groups.

The prosecution alleged that the provisions on and usage of pending bills were illegally invoked to create fictitious bills, fake supplies by made-up entities while leaving out genuine pending bills, which some remain unpaid to date.

The Ngiritas were at the centre of this fraudulent scheme through their firms Ngiwaco, Waluko, Njewanga, Jerrycathy Enterprises and Annwaw, which received the Sh226.9 million. Payments were backdated for quick payments to the Ngiritas.

Annwaw belongs to Ms Ann Wambere Wanjiku who allegedly received Sh59.8 million while Waluko belongs to her mother Lucy Wambui, while Jeremiah Gichini Ngirita owned Jerrycathy Enterprises that is said to have banked Sh72.2 million.