Court Orders Treasury Accountant to Forfeit Sh80 Million Unexplained Wealth
A Nairobi court has directed a National Treasury official to forfeit property worth over Sh80 million to the government.
While making the ruling on Thursday, High Court Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) provided evidence showing that Patrick Ochieno Abachi, an accountant at the Treasury, has unexplained wealth.
“I am satisfied on the evidence placed before me by the plaintiff (EACC) that the 1st defendant (Abachi) has unexplained assets within the meaning of Section 2 of the ACECA,” Justice Ngugi said.
In 2008, Sh1.99 million in cash was seized from Abachi following a search carried out by EACC detectives.
Also recovered were ownership documents to properties registered in his name and his associates. The properties were estimated to be worth Sh80,840,000 as of 2008.
When EACC filed the forfeiture suit in 2008, Abachi’s gross salary was Sh53,900 per month, with the agency stating that he had acquired wealth well beyond his known legitimate sources of income.
The court was told that he acquired a house valued at Sh54 million in 2006, a Sh5 million apartment in 2005, two other apartments in Parkview for Sh9 million, and pieces of land in Kajiado and Mavoko between 2004 and 2005.
EACC argues that these are proceeds of crime as he failed to list in his wealth declaration forms.
The property is linked to the Anglo Leasing scandal in which contracts worth Sh70 billion were issued to non-existent companies.
The scandal is alleged to have started when the government wanted to replace its passport printing system in 1997 but came to light after a revelation by a government officer in 2002.
The contract, which was not publicly advertised, was originally quoted at 6 million euros by a French company but was awarded to a British company, Anglo Leasing Finance at 30 million euros. Anglo Leasing would have sub-contracted the same French company to do the work.
Comments (11)
I knew the suspect was non-Kyuk from the get-go. Non-Kyuks don't know $hit on how to cover their Footprints.
He went bragging about his newly minted wealth, and that is how he got caught! You can’t be living in a grass thatched mud hut in Siaya while parking a Mercedes 600s outside and expect the neighbors not to question the source of your new found wealth status while you are making 54k a month. The judge is merely emptying the extra Omena out of his Ugali plate to share it with the rightful owners.
obachi is not a siaya name; know your names
Any name can belong to any part of Kenya to include Akamai, Otieno, Njoroge, CIKU, Ali, Mohamed, and Mutua! Don’t be 😜 silly!
Can you expand your mind a little bit to know any one in Kenya can hail from any Conner of the country? Do we not have Atieno, Raila, Kajwang, etc living in Nairobi! Or kisumu si Kenya?
I more interested in why this judge is not up for chief justice. She appears to do things without fear or favor and damn the consequences. The only other question is why this took 19 years to resolve.
I have the same questions as well! The judiciary needs a tough, fearless, fair and honest CJ! The problem is that every other lawyer and judge is deeply tainted in corruption matters! So most of them prefer to elect Muilu, a well known corruption laden dcj, to protect their own material interests! Kenya need a radical surgical change of all its institutions to root out corruption. We can start by putting judge Ngugi in charge of the judiciary!
Is that all he has to do, return sh80,000,000? If the wealth was from criminal proceeds why shouldn't he get some prison time?This is the kind of punishment that crooks love.Not a deterrent at all.I would rather the thief pay zero sum,but go to jail for 30 years.
He should be fired and sentenced to a long jail time! I’m tired of these thieves starting with the DP Ruto! Can judge Ngugi be put in charge of Weston land grabbing case? Maybe that is the only way Kenyans can get a fair judgment against a sitting DP Ruto!
I agree with you the thief should go to jail and also pay restitution in the amount he/she has stolen.
She delivered again.
Kudos honorable justice Mumbi Ngugi