Five former senior officials of the State Department for Correctional Services will be arraigned in court on Friday in relation to an alleged loss of more than Sh450 million.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said the suspects are among a group of 13 former officials in the State Department under the Interior Ministry who caused the loss of the funds through tender payments for goods that were never delivered.
EACC said the suspects were arrested on Thursday.
They are accused of servicing tenders for purported supply of food and rations to various prison stations by 17 companies linked to them.
The Commission said the alleged crime occurred during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Financial Years.
“The suspects are currently undergoing processing at the EACC Integrity Center Police Station. They will be detained at Kilimani Police Station pending arraignment before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on Friday, July 19, 2024, at 9 am,” EACC deputy CEO Abdi Mohamud said.
He said the suspects in custody occasioned the loss of Sh257 million of the total funds in question.
Among those in custody are two accountants, a chief finance officer and a cleaner at the Department of Correctional Services who also acted as a director of the seven companies which allegedly received the funds.
The deputy CEO said the other eight suspects who are still at large should surrender themselves at the EACC offices early Friday morning.
They include two directors of two of the companies, three accountants, a prison warder, a former deputy commissioner of prisons and a deputy director, of supply chain services.
“The Commission hereby orders the following eight suspects who are yet to be arrested to report to EACC, Nairobi Integrity Center Offices or to the nearest EACC Office not later than Friday, July 19, 2024, 8 am, without fail,” Mohamud said.
