Lugari Member of Parliament, Ayub Savula Angati/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 – Lugari Member of Parliament, Ayub Savula Angati was arrested Friday evening by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation for conspiring to steal Sh122,335,500 from the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology.
Savula will be arraigned in court on Monday and will be charged together with Melody Gatwiri Ringera and Helen Jepkorir Kemboi for obtaining money by false pretenses from the Government Advertising Agency.
They will also answer charges of making a document without authority.
Director of Public Prosecutions Nordin Haji said the three 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.
Others sought is Sammy Ishiundu Itemere, who served as Principal Secretary at the ministry when the fraud was committed and more than twenty other suspects who are either ministry staff or directors of firms that received payments irregularly.
“I am further satisfied that Sammy Ishiundu Itemere, the then, Principal Secretary, State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications in the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology, approved fraudulent payments of Sh122,335,500 to the aforementioned persons and companies,” said Haji in a statement.
George kinoti, the Director of Criminal Investigations said they are looking for more suspects to face charges.
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).”
“I am further satisfied that Sammy Ishiundu Itemere, the then, Principal Secretary, State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications in the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology, approved fraudulent payments of Sh122,335,500 to the aforementioned persons and companies,” said Haji in a statement.
Itemere and 18 other GAA and Ministry of Information staff will also be charged with Commission of a felony and abuse of office on Monday.
The DCI has arrested four of the suspects including Savula. The rest are being sought.
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