NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 – The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Nordin Haji has recommended the arrest and prosecution of former Information Communication Technology (ICT) Principal Secretary Sammy Itemere and 20 others over the Sh2.8 billion Government Advertising Agency (GAA) scandal.
Others to be prosecuted from Monday include Dennis Huku Chebikway who is the Director of Government Advertising Agency and Lugari Member of Parliament Ayub Savula Angati who was arrested on Friday.
The DPP says Savula, Meldoy Gatwiri Ringera and Hellen Jepkor Kemboi, will be arraigned in court on Monday and will be charged with obtaining money by false pretence from the Government Advertising Agency and making a document without authority.
Imetera, Chebikway and 20 other staff members of the Ministry of Information and GAA will be charged with a conspiracy to commit felony and abuse of office.
So far four people, including Savula, have been arrested over the scandal. The rest are being sought.
Haji said Savula, Gatwiri and Jepkor are the directors of seven companies that fraudulently received the monies allocated for legitimate media houses that have provided advertising services to the government.
The companies include; Sunday Publishers, Melsav Company, Johnnewton Communications, Express Media Group, No Burns Protection Agencies, Cross Continents Ventures and Shieldlock Ltd.
The DPP had in August directed the DCI to carry out investigations into the procurement services from media, failure to honour contracts at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and Government Advertising Agency.
The Agency owes several broadcast and publishing houses over Sh2 billion.
“The Director of Criminal Investigations forwarded the duplicate file on 24th October, 2018 recommending various charges against the officers from the Government Advertising Agency (GAA).”