The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has obtained High Court orders to freeze two prime apartments in Nairobi.
The buildings are believed to have been acquired using money embezzled from the County Government of Vihiga by a former Finance Chief Officer and his wife and, then Head of Procurement and his wife.
The case has 13 defendants including the aforementioned and a private company owned.
One of the apartments, co-owned by the former Head of Procurement and his wife, is located in Nextgen Park on Mombasa Road and is valued at Sh14 million.
The second one is located at Tulip Court, Fourways Junction, valued at Sh13.5 million and registered under the name of a Revenue Officer.
She is also the wife of the county's Chief Officer of Finance from 2014-2017.
Upon investigations, EACC found out that the former Head of Procurement and his wife in collusion with the then Chief Officer Finance, hatched and executed a fraudulent scheme to corruptly obtain Sh13,989,450 from the county government.
This was done through fictitious procurement contracts purportedly for the supply of toners and capacity-building services awarded to a company owned by the couple.
It was found that although the company did not supply anything to the county government, it was paid the amount which it used to make partial payments in the purchase of apartments.
EACC wants the officials compelled to pay back the amount with interest from 2014 or an order for the government to sell the apartments by public auction.
The recovery suit is in addition to the criminal case currently ongoing.
