Friday, October 9, 2015
National Youth Service (NYS) Director-General Nelson Githinji shortly after he appeared at Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on October 9, 2015. PHOTO | JAMES EKWAM | NATION MEDIA GROUP
National Youth Service (NYS) director-general Nelson Githinji
was on Friday questioned over his alleged role in the loss of millions
of shillings at the institution.
Dr Githinji spent five
hours at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission offices where he was
asked to explain how the money quoted in local purchase orders for 18
transactions varied from figures captured by the Integrated Financial
Management Information Systems records by up to Sh618 million.
Anti-graft
commission deputy director Michael Mubea told journalists that they
were interrogating him on various issues that touch on procurement at
the youth service.
Asked it they will question
Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, Mr Mubea said: “Our
investigations are not conducted the way the press thinks. We rely on
the evidence available for us to interview individuals. I do not know
who will be interviewed next but I think it will be the procurement
people.”
TOBIKO ORDER
The
grilling follows Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko’s order
last week for the agency to investigate the loss of Sh791 million.
And
speaking in Kiambu, Ms Waiguru under whose ministry the youth service
falls, maintained she is innocent even though Mr Tobiko had also
required her to record a statement over the scandals.
Ms
Waiguru was presiding over a graduation ceremony at St Paul’s
University in Limuru. She said she was offering a great service to the
nation.
“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. I personally believe I am doing great,” she said.
She
said those linking her to corruption at the youth service and her
ministry were misinformed. She said she always strives to uphold the
highest standards in her work.
“High standards will
guide you in terms of who to work for and what kind of work you will
pour your energies into. It will also guide you on what to do and what
not to do, what to say and what not to say, what to respond to and what
not to, what allegations to make and what allegations not to make,” said
Ms Waiguru.
NO COMMENT
Journalists sought to interview her but Ms Waiguru said: “I am not speaking to you today.”
Mr
Tobiko said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has also started
investigations into the scandal after a request by Ms Waiguru yet no
statement had been taken from her. “However, the CS has not recorded a
statement regarding this matter. It is important that she records a
statement,” Mr Tobiko said.
Sources at Integrity Centre
told Saturday Nation that detectives questioned Dr Githinji on a number
of fishy transactions approved at a time when he had the authority to
incur expenditure at the National Youth Service.
Dr Githinji arrived at 2 pm. He waited for his lawyer before questioning could start.
Detectives
questioned him on the findings of a confidential report compiled by the
Directorate of Criminal Investigations which noted that a zero digit
was added to each of the transactions to facilitate theft of millions of
shillings in a racket involving top youth service officials and
suppliers.
LINKS TO COMPANIES
Dr
Githinji was also put to task over why one Ms Nyambura Regina Mungai
was involved in a questionable transaction involving millions of
shillings even after she had been moved from the youth service to the
ministry.
He was further asked about his links to several companies in the transactions.
Some
24 top ministry and the youth service officials have been recommended
for action in a file handed to the prosecutor but Dr Githinji’s name is
not among them.
Among those listed is Dr Githinji’s
deputy Adan Harakhe, Form Homes Builders, Reinforced Concrete
Technologies and Roof and All Traders.
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