NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 23 – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives have arrested Garissa County Assembly Member (MCA) Abdi Ibrahim Daar and two former county officials in connection with alleged fraudulent payments totaling Sh 51.4 million.
The suspects, arrested on Sunday, are Abdi Ibrahim Daar, MCA for Balambala Ward; Mohamud Dubow Korane, former Director of Accounting Services at the Garissa County Government; and Yussuf Bethe Ali, former Senior Principal Economist at the county.
They are scheduled to be arraigned before the Garissa Law Courts on Monday for plea-taking.
According to the charge sheet, the trio is accused of conspiring to commit corruption by facilitating fraudulent transfers from the Garissa County Government to Qorjarey Enterprise and General Supplies Limited for goods and services that were neither procured nor supplied.
The charges include conspiracy to commit corruption contrary to Section 47A(3) read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (Cap 65), fraudulent acquisition of public property, abuse of office by approving or raising payments improperly, and forgery and uttering false documents.
The fraudulent transactions reportedly occurred between April and June 2022, involving multiple payments for emergency food items, office furniture, and water trucking services.
Korane is alleged to have approved payments ranging from Sh 4.8 million to Sh 14.5 million to Qorjarey Enterprise for unprocured goods, while Ali is accused of raising invoices in the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) to facilitate these improper payments.
Daar, in addition to authorizing the fraudulent transactions, is charged with creating and presenting false documents, including letters of acceptance for contracts, to deceive both the county government and financial institutions.
The case will be prosecuted by the EACC in conjunction with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) at the Garissa Law Courts.
The suspects are expected to enter pleas, after which the court will determine bail or remand conditions.
This case is among several high-profile anti-corruption operations carried out by the EACC in recent months, aimed at safeguarding public funds and promoting accountability in county governments.
