NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 26 – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives have detained Taita Taveta County Assembly Clerk Gadiel Maganga in connection with graft.
Maganga was accused of fraudulent expenditure related to a bonding trip undertaken by 21 MCAs to Zanzibar in 2022.
The EACC disclosed on Friday that Maganga’s arrest followed the dismissal of his case by the High Court in Voi, where he sought to halt EACC and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from pursuing his arrest and prosecution.
“Sitting in Voi, Justice George Dulu on 25th April 2024 declined to issue the orders sought paving way for prosecution,” EACC said
The anti-graft agency said the suspect was being escorted to EACC Mombasa Regional Offices for processing pending arraignment.
The suspect faces graft charges alongside the Deputy Speaker Mwadime Chao who has since pleaded not guilty to charges.
The Commission’s investigation uncovered that a total of Sh 17 million was spent on the trip, with Sh 9 million paid directly to organizers for logistics and Sh 8 million disbursed as imprest to 30 officials, including the 21 MCAs.
“The County Assembly used forged documents to account for the fraudulent expenditure,” EACC alleged.
According to EACC the MCA’s were overpaid while some of those who received allowances did not take part in the trip.
