The businesswoman at the centre of a controversial consignment of oil valued at Sh17 billion now wants to be fully compensated for the “loss” of her product.
Ann Njeri, in her submission to the Energy Committee of the National Assembly, maintained that the consignment was illegally taken from her by Galana Energies, which is also claiming ownership of the oil.
“I believe that this Committee has the power to recommend full investigation of this matter with a view of helping me in my fight for compensation and recovery of all payments due to me,” she said.
Njeri insisted that she procured the fuel for sale to any country in the East Africa region.
“As an upstream trader (not an importer of petroleum products in Kenya), I do not need a license to deliver fuel to a customer who has a license to operate in their jurisdiction,” she explained.
Njeri said she purchased the fuel using a credit line held in HSBC Bank, Dubai.
“Together with business partners, we have an account in the bank in which we settle payments for products we have been allocated. The cargo on MT HAIGU was paid from this bank just like all the other petroleum transactions we have executed over the years,” she stated.
She said the “perpetrators” who stole her fuel forced her detention by police to discharge and sell the cargo.
She asked Vincent Musyoka-led committee to help her get justice in this matter, saying the court was disobeyed and security apparatus used to illegally arrest and detain her.
MPs are seeking to establish whether the consignment belongs to Njeri’s Import and Export Enterprises Limited or the company registered as Galana Energies.
The businesswoman found herself at the centre of controversy after government officials claimed the consignment she laid claim to belonged to Galana Energies Limited.
Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and the Kenya Ports Authority have maintained that Njeri is not the true owner of the consignment, alleging she used forged documents to assert ownership.
Njeri could not give the committee evidence for the payments.
“I have evidence (..of payment) but it is private and confidential, it should not be shared with the public, only the chairman can see it,” she said.
She also presented what the committee claimed was a fake Kenya Revenue Authority certificate of compliance.
Njeri said she is a Kenyan trader in oil and gas products having started the business in 2009 and worked to build network and business links with refineries and oil allocation holders in the Middle East and Asia.
“I set up my base in Dubai UAE to run the business of moving petroleum products to African countries under the company Ann’s Import and Export Enterprises Limited. I also run a minerals trading company called ECADI General Trading Limited,” she said.
