EACC boss says he did genuine business with NYS

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chair Phillip Kinisu says he will not resign unless it is proven that he committed a crime by doing business with the National Youth Service (NYS) prior to his appointment at the anti-graft body.

Kinisu claimed allegations that the 35.4 million shillings paid out to his wife’s company was part of the 791 million lost in the NYS scandal are unfounded.

This comes even as a multi-agency team from the EACC took up the matter to investigate its chair.

“The allegations that have been made against the company and I are unsubstantiated and yet as I speak to you this morning, we have been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion by the deliberate manner in which the matters have been framed and orchestrated,” said Kinisu.

Six months into his appointment as EACC chair, Kinisu is already ringing alarm bells over what he says is corruption fighting not just his efforts to fight it, but also his person, to malign his name using what he calls wild false allegations.

“Someone is stringing some English words together to come up with allegations.Legitimate questions can be asked: is there a law that prevents any Kenyan citizen or company doing business with a government institution? Why is Esaki Ltd being singled out in a fishing expedition for evidence?” posed Kibisu.

The allegations he alluded to concern payment of 35.4 million shillings by the national Youth Service (NYS) to a company owned by his wife, Esaki Ltd, and for which he was a director before  he resigned to take up the job with the EACC.

“They didn’t talk about the legitimacy or time period business was conducted or contracts were performed had they done due diligence they would have noted that this happened before I joined EACC,” said the anti-graft commission chair.

Kinisu further denied the existence of any conflict of interest that arises given his capacity at the graft fighting body that was involved in the investigation of the loss of 791 million from NYS.

“Until it is shown that what I know as the truth is not true I will not resign. In any case NYS transactions are being investigated by a multi agency team over which the chairman cannot exert undue influence,” he stated.

Kinisu also faces allegations of money laundering and failing to account for funds from donors amounting to 5 billion shillings given to APHRC, an NGO which he chairs.

“All the funds have been audited by internationally acclaimed auditors there have never been queries,” he said.

Kinisu, in his defence, tied these allegations to what he calls ‘the first warning shot’, where shots were fired into his private office barely a month after he joined EACC.

Kinisu said he will cooperate with investigations, but also institute legal action for defamation and libel against certain media outlets and Bunge la Wananchi which he claims are being used to malign his name.