By Betty Luke
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has ordered eight individuals believed to have aided fraudulent award of a Sh58.5 million tender by the Isiolo County government to surrender themselves to the anti-graft agency with immediate effect.
The suspects are among 13 people, including five former county government officials, said to have engaged in a flawed procurement process that awarded Drescoll Limited Company the tender to deliver a fire engine in March 2018.
Those instructed to present themselves to the anti-graft agency are Drescoll Limited Director Bashir Hassan Abey Mamo, former chief office for finance Yusuf Mohammed Galgalo, former Chief Finance officer Qanchora Roba and former head of supply chain management Salad Kikuyu Sarite.
Others are former county legal advisor Linus Gichunge Thuranira, John Thuranira Nkuraru (supply chain management assistant), Ali Godana Wako (former town administrator) and Kennedy Macharia Murimi (Transport officer).
The anti-graft agency established that the tender was illegally awarded as letters of regret to unsuccessful bidders were issued two days before the tenders were opened suggesting that the preferred bidder must have been predetermined.
Additionally, EACC notes that the evaluation committee failed to conduct due diligence as specifications in the company’s bid document were illegally changed after the deadline for the submission of the tender.
EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak also revealed that that contrary to the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act of 2015 that demands that an advance payment should not exceed 20 percent of the cost price, Drescoll Company received an advance payment of Sh29.3 million, money the investigators suspect was embezzled.
Further investigations revealed that contrary to 10,000 liter capacity fire engine make SINO TRUCK from China that Drescoll had quoted in their bid, they delivered a 7500 liter capacity IVECO from Turkey therefore breaching the contract.
The anti-graft agency Wednesday arrested five suspects including former chief officers Adan Salad Kadubo and Peter Ngechu, former Head of Treasury Abdinasir Ali and accountants Jibril Hassan and Augustine Kariuki Gatebu all expected to be arraigned tomorrow.
The suspects will be charged with three offences of failure to observe procurement regulations, abuse of office and unlawful acquisition of public property.
