NYS Scandal: Ngirita Family Assets Declared Proceeds of Crime

An investigation into multi-million-shilling assets owned by members of the Ngirita family has concluded that they are proceeds of crime. 

This comes after the family, which is accused of illegally receiving millions of shillings from the National Youth Service (NYS), failed to demonstrate how the said assets were acquired, according to Daily Nation.

In court documents, Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) said members of the family implicated in the NYS scandal failed to table evidence to prove they won contracts with the youth agency, supplied goods or even paid taxes to KRA on income made.

ARA further indicated that Phyllis Ngirita, Lucy Wambui Ngirita, and Jeremiah Gichini Ngirita failed to provide trading licenses or contracts to support claims that they genuinely acquired the assets being targeted.

Investigator Fredrick Musyoki concluded the properties are proceeds of crime as there is no evidence of any goods supplied to NYS by the Ngiritas.

“The respondents failed to produce tangible evidence of the purported legitimate agricultural activities or legitimate business of supply of goods,” Musyoki said in court papers.

He noted that Ms. Phyllis claims to have supplied watermelons, cabbages, English potatoes, onions and green grams worth Sh5.8 million to NYS in 2014 but a difference of Sh32.8 million has not been explained.

On their part, the Ngiritas said they are hardworking Kenyans “who have supplied various government agencies with goods and services for over 20 years”.

ARA wants three cars and several parcels of land linked to Phyllis, her brother Gichini and their mother Lucy forfeited to the government, saying they are proceeds of crime. 

The agency said a probe into their bank statements and documents concerning the accounts established that the three, their business entities and associates irregularly received funds from NYS split into several transactions.

The case will be heard on November 18th, 2019.