Anglo-Leasing ‘didn’t seek passport tender’

Defence lawyer Jane Githinji and Mr Joe Okwach, who is prosecuting, leave a Nairobi court on August 17, 2011 after the hearing of an Anglo-Leasing case. Photo/PAUL WAWERU 

By RICHARD MUNGUTI
Posted  Wednesday, August 17  2011 at  22:30

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Anglo-Leasing did not tender for a contract to produce new passports, the Anti-Corruption Court heard on Wednesday.

A witness, Mr Joseph Kathuri Ndathi, said only two companies bid for the tender and Anglo-Leasing was not one of them.

Mr Ndathi, a former senior official at the Immigration Department, said the contract document he was shown was signed by two former permanent secretaries, Mr Sylvester Mwaliko and Mr Joseph Magari.

The eighth witness in the case against Mr Mwaliko, said the former PS in the Office of the Vice President and Home Affairs and Mr Magari, formerly in Finance, signed the document.

“Did Anglo-Leasing and Finance Limited apply for the tender?” private prosecutor Joe Okwach asked.

“No,” he responded. He said the service provider in the contract document was Anglo-Leasing and Finance Limited.

“Did you sign a voucher requiring the user department to pay three per cent of the contract award?” Mr Okwach asked.

“No, we did not sign the voucher for Sh91.6 million. I discussed the payment with Principal Immigration Officer Henry ole Ndiema and we returned it to Treasury unsigned,” Mr Ndathi said.

He said they refused to sign the voucher because it was not supported by the contract document.

The witness said he was later asked to go to the Treasury with an auditor where he was shown the contract document.

“Did you eventually sign the voucher?” Mr Okwach asked. “Yes, after we saw that the contract document which gave rise to the voucher had been jointly signed by the then PSs of Home Affairs and the Treasury,” he said.

Mr Ndathi was testifying in an abuse of office case against Mr Mwaliko, Mr Magari, Mr David Onyonka and Dr Wilson Sitonic. They have denied the charges.