Exhibit in Sh3.5b Anglo Leasing scandal tabled

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has handed over evidence from Switzerland used to unravel the multi-billion-shilling Anglo Leasing scandal.

 Through its lead Investigating Officer, Ignatius Wekesa (right), EACC tabled in court banking records and other documents obtained from Swiss authorities as evidence in the case facing late businessman Chamanlal Kamani and his two sons, Deepark and Rashmi Kamani, former Permanent Secretaries Dave Mwangi and Joseph Magari, and former senior Treasury employee David Onyonka.

The records were contained in three box files, a flash disc and two compact discs.

“The evidence is admitted as exhibits in this matter as produced by the investigation officer Wekesa. They are marked as MFI 75(a), MFI75(b), MFI 81, MFI 97, MFI 98 and MFI 121,” trial magistrate Felix Kombo said. 

Evidence revealed the roles played by each of the former Government officials and businessmen in the Anglo Leasing contracts where the government was defrauded of billions of shillings by ghost companies allegedly associated with the Kamanis. Admission of the evidence follows a ruling by High Court Judge Esther Maina on June 16 that overturned the court’s decision to strike out the crucial evidence in the case on grounds that it failed to meet the integrity test.

The government of Kenya had entered into a contract with Sound Day Corporation before it terminated it.

It is alleged that between October 30, 2003 and April 14, 2004, the accused persons conspired with others to engage in a scheme to defraud the government of Kenya of Sh3.5 billion through a suppliers credit contract agreement for the modernisation of the Police Security Equipment and Accessories Project.

Last witness

In his evidence in chief, Wekesa informed the court that during investigations, he received several files from Treasury and Office of the President, which had been marked security contact relating to Anglo Leasing scandal.

Wekesa, who is the last witness in the case that was filed in 2015, said some of the issues emerged during investigations were that a company known as Sound Day Corporation entered into a contract with the Kenya government to supply police equipment.

It emerged that the company was not registered or incorporated in Kenya nor had a local representative in the country.

He said as the probe advanced, the firm’s directors were not known to anybody in the country. Court heard that the address that sound Day had given was to be in London or UK, however, the team of investigators visited the place and could not locate the address. “None of the government officials directly or indirectly knew Sound Day Corporation and its Directors,” Wekesa said.