Ksh 500 million stolen from Parliament through fraudulent deals

Parliament has allegedly lost five hundred million shillings to fraudulent suppliers.

Documents seen by Citizen TV show that the Parliamentary Service Commission has lost millions to graft, with named suppliers paid irregularly in the past three years.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) have both confirmed being seized of the matter that is now under investigation.

Six officials of the Parliamentary Service Commission were questioned Tuesday as investigations into the matter continue.

A letter in Citizen TV’s possession from an official, who did not wish to be named, brought to light concerns of corruption at the Parliamentary Service Commission’s procurement and finance departments.

Officers from the DCI on Tuesday checked the Integrated Financial Management Information Systems – IFMIS – as up to 550 million shillings cannot be accounted for.

In just nine months, five companies, that are suspected to be linked to officers from Parliament, are said to have been paid a total of 42 million shillings in fraudulent deals.

Pritt Kenya Building contractor, was said to be awarded a 8.9 million shillings tender but instead paid 38.9 million shillings for it.

Stimal Office Supplies was paid out 18.5 million shillings, instead of a tender value of 12 million shillings.

Keyboard Business Systems Limited got 5.99 million shillings in payment, and not the 4.5 million awarded tender.

Kenban Enterprises, was meant to get 11.8 million shillings, instead, payment made was 14 million shillings while Planview Supplies Agencies was paid 2.46 million shillings for an unspecified tender.

At the centre of the controversy are five officials from the procurement and finance officers.

Sources from the anti graft body and the DCI say the figure could be more than the alleged 500 million shillings.

A preliminary report is expected to be given to the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi on Wednesday.

However, the spotlight now turns to a commission within an arm of government that is itself meant to keep other institutions in check in matters corruption at a time when economists have raised concern over the government’s cash crunch.