COTU files suit against NSSF bosses over Tassia II project

The Central Organisation for Trade Unions (COTU) has moved to court to institute a private criminal prosecution against suspended National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Managing Trustee Richard Langat and five other officials, over the Ksh5.1 billion shillings Tassia II project.

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli wants the former NSSF officials charged for allegedly approving the project irregularly and violating procurement rules in the development of the property.

The organisation claims it has written to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko demanding that the case be revisited.

Back in 2014, the NSSF admitted that there was a mistake in the manner in which a contract for the Tassia II infrastructure project was awarded.

Lang’at said the fund should have first collected money from owners of the plots before awarding the contract to a Chinese firm.

In April 2014, the row surrounding the Tassia II infrastructure development project took a new twist after the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) called for the cancellation of the tender awarded to Chinese firm China Jiangxi International on grounds that it was marred by irregularities.

The commission asked the EACC to probe the award of the tender.

The CAJ conducted an investigation into the controversial Tassia project between 15^th January and April 15^th 2014 following a complaint filed by the Central Organization of Trade Union Secretary General Francis Atwoli who claimed that the irregular approval of the project had flawed procurement process.

The findings according to the Commission were staggering.

“The approval was done via email. For a project worth Ksh4.6 billion to be approved on email we find that to be very negligent,” said CAJ Chairperson Otiende Amollo.

The Commission also discovered discrepancies regarding the exact total figure of the tender.

NSSF was then ordered to account for money amounting to Ksh11.2 million shillings purportedly paid to the Nairobi County Government.

Other findings that cast doubt over the credibility of the approval process of the Tassia Project include the fact that the NSSF management did not include the employees’ representative and the Finance, Social Security and Investment Committee.

CAJ consequently called for investigations to be carried out by the anti-corruption watchdog.

The NSSF has in the past been rocked by multi-million shilling scandals, which have led to questions over its ability to manage more funds.