Probe into bribe claims against MPs stalls

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Commission on Administrative Justice chairman, Mr Otiende Amolo. Photo/FILE 

By DAVE OPIYO dopiyo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, October 21  2012 at  23:30

IN SUMMARY

• Dr Khalwale mentioned the name of a high-ranking ODM lawmaker, who, he said, was dishing out the money to party members at his office within Parliament Buildings.

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Investigations into allegations that MPs received bribes to reject a report on the controversial money printing contract have stalled.

This follows refusal by Ikolomani MP Boni Khalwale to furnish the Commission on Administrative Justice with details on claims that lawmakers were paid to reject the report by a parliamentary committee that had indicted Transport Minister Amos Kimunya and Central Bank governor Njuguna Ndung’u.

The report had alleged that the government lost Sh1.8 billion in the extra cost of printing currency with De La Rue.

The Central Bank and De La Rue have denied the claims.

On Sunday, the commission’s chairman, Mr Otiende Amolo, said a month after they had written to the MP to provide more information on his allegations, they were yet to receive a response.

“We have not received any response from him,” he told the Nation on Sunday.

“This has left us wondering whether he was either misreported at the time or he has changed his mind on the issue,” he said, adding: “We are still waiting. We haven’t closed the case yet. Should the information be made available to us, we will definitely continue with our investigations.”

Last month, Dr Khalwale alleged that MPs were given Sh30,000 to reject the report that had recommended the removal of the two senior government officials over the controversial money printing contract.

The MP, who is the chairman of the powerful Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC), also blamed the rejection of the report on “politics, tribalism, corruption and impunity”.

Dr Khalwale mentioned the name of a high-ranking ODM lawmaker, who, he said, was dishing out the money to party members at his office within Parliament Buildings.

The PAC chairman also mentioned a first-time central Kenya MP as having been instrumental in dishing out the cash to MPs.

“We know, and the Auditor-General has confirmed, that Sh1.8 billion was lost. So, even if those behind the scam just took Sh200 million to pay MPs, they would still have Sh1.6 billion of the loot left in their pockets… but they were giving Sh20,000 to Sh30,000… I tell you people, MPs are broke! Look at the kind of money that buys their souls then they sell your country,” the PAC chairman was quoted as saying.

Seeking clarification

“There was a lot of bribery. They first came with Sh10 million to Mombasa when we were writing the report. I refused! Then, they sent an MP with Sh1 million for all of us. We refused! So, they decided to pay MPs to reject the report.”

This prompted the commission, which took over the functions of the Ombudsman after the implementation of the Constitution in 2010, to write to the MPs seeking more clarification on the matter.