Savula arrested over Ksh.122M govt advertising agency scam

Lugari MP Ayub Savula has been arrested after for attempting to defraud the government of Ksh.122million.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched investigations after alarm was raised over irregularities of contracts awarded by the State’s ad agency.

“Lugari Member of Parliament, the Honorable Ayub Savula Angatia, has been arrested this evening by DCI Detectives for conspiring to steal Ksh.122, 335, 500 from the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology,” a statement from DCI reads.

A report in the Daily Nation on September 11, 2018 revealed that police had unearthed “NYS-style fraud” at the ad agency.

The Government Advertisement Agency was formed three years ago through a directive of Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich.

He ordered that all State corporations, universities and other institutions under the national government put their advertisements through the Information Ministry.

The move saw media revenues fall greatly as some claimed that the GAA had failed to honour contracts.

Savula is the first suspect to be arrested as investigations into the scandal continue.

He will spend the weekend in police custody and is expected to be arraigned in court on Monday.