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Puzzle of Government Officer with Sh61 Million in Deposits into His Bank Accounts, Zero Withdrawals in 6 Year
A Mandera County employee with Sh61 million in his bank accounts has found himself in trouble with the authorities.
This is after he failed to explain the source of Sh51 million deposited to his bank accounts over six years, The Standard reported on Sunday.
The Asset Recovery Authority (ARA) is seeking court orders to forfeit the money to the State after Abdi Mohamed Ali, the Mandera county director of livestock, failed to account for the money.
The man appeared before an Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi, where he was only able to satisfactorily explain the source Sh10 million which was his salary.
Abdi told the court he made the rest of the cash through the sale of livestock but he could not provide any evidence to prove this.
“It is not enough to say such and such account and the deposits were out of the sale of camels, the source of which is not known or supported.”
“Anybody can imagine a figure and even business. The respondent’s (Ali) explanation given is quite casual and cosmetic, with no tangible evidence or proof of the existence of any business being undertaken by the first respondent,” ruled Justice John Onyiego while issuing orders to have his accounts frozen.
The money was deposited into two accounts, one of which Abdi co-owns with his unemployed wife, from different locations including Garissa, Mandera, Moyale, Eastleigh, and Westlands.
The deposits were mainly made in trances of below Sh1 million from 2014 to 2020 and no withdrawals were made during the six-year period. Deposits exceeding Sh1 million were made on five occasions. The lowest amount deposited amount was Sh134,000, while the highest was Sh2.1 million.
ARA suspects the money was fraudulently acquired from the county government.
“The said bank accounts received suspicious cash deposits in Kenya shillings and the funds are suspected to be stolen and/or fraudulently acquired from Mandera County by the respondents, their agents or representatives, and deceitfully deposited in the said accounts,” ARA argues.
The court, however, allowed Abdi to withdraw Sh3 million from the frozen accounts to take care of his family pending the determination of ARA’s case.