Monday, January 2, 2012

Millions missing from sugar firm’s bank account


By grace wekesa

Over Sh3 million has been withdrawn from the Nzoia Outgrowers Company’s (Noco) bank account under mysterious circumstances.
More than 500 sugarcane farmers led by Noco General Manger Kingsley Mutali raised the red flag after the funds went missing.
Farmers accused unscrupulous officials of engaging in a stealing spree before the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) seconded Mr Mutali to the company to oversee and streamline operations.
"Farmers have asked me to ensure those behind the loss of funds are brought to book," said Mutali.
As the regulator and financier of Noco, KSB carried out an investigative audit and established that millions of shillings had been misappropriated by unknown individuals.
Consequently, it sent Mutali to the company last June to carry out reforms and ensure accountability.
Employees evicted
The farmers and Mutali further raised issue with an incident on December 16, last year where police officers watched as strangers harassed and evicted employees of Noco from their company houses at Sikata in Bungoma.
Mutali said Noco foreign contractors were harassed and evicted from the office and their equipment and documents confiscated as police watched.
The farmers accused police in Bungoma of being partisan in handling the matter.
"Why are the police protecting culprits who have mismanaged public resources? Why are they not investigating the issues we have raised, including threats to my life?" the GM posed.
Already, Noco has been changed from a company limited by guarantee to limited by shares as advised by the KSB although a group of former directors have moved to court to stop the process.
"During the transformation, some directors — former and present — have made several attempts to undermine my efforts including threats on my life; intimidation and abuse of court process, and writing memoranda to various Government offices with malicious allegations," said Mutali.
He appealed to the Government to intervene and resolve the issue, which has threatened to paralyse operations and hurt farmers’ work.

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