Things have not really worked out of for Governor Obado since he was released. He is expected to live with tough conditions which have literary tongue tied him.
The EACC has pounced on the assets of Migori governor Okoth Obado’s associates suspected to have been acquired fraudulently.
EACC now wants seven of the governor’s alleged proxies and 14 of their firms that benefited from multi-billion contracts compelled to refund Sh2 billion allegedly looted from the Migori county government.
In an intriguing court battle, EACC says Obado was a beneficiary of the fictitious contracts through millions wired to his three children, most of them living abroad.
On Tuesday, the High Court issued orders barring the owners from selling or transferring 65 properties — including maissionettes, apartments and land — all valued at over Sh382 million.
The High Court restrained the owners and interested parties or their agents from “transferring, charging, disposing, wasting or any other way alienating the properties.”
Previously seen as toothless bulldog but now determined to bite the big fish, the EACC says the suspects should be forced to refund Sh1,971,179,180 obtained from Migori county and forfeit to the government the 65 properties frozen by the court.
EACC has named Peter Odoyo Oluoch Kwaga, a close Obado associate, as the architect of the theft who roped in six members of his family including his mother.
Of the 65 properties the High Court put a caveat on, 42 belong to Kwaga excluding 17 he transferred after sleuths raided his home early this year.
The properties include four maissionettes in Nairobi, an apartment in Nairobi and several tracks of land mostly in Migori town.
“The Commission has established that in just four days after it carried out search on the 1st defendant’s [Kwaga] residence, he transferred 17 parcels out of the 59 parcels registered in his name to the interested parties herein,” EACC says.
The parcels were transferred to Yuda Otago, Clement Nguka, Julita Atieno Okoko, Dora Atieno Owino and Tabitha Achieng Odhiambo.
All the aforesaid parcels were transferred in a single day, 19 March 2018. This is clear indication that the 1st defendant is in haste to defeat the efforts by the Commission to recover the said properties which the Commission has demonstrated were acquired from the illicit wealth obtained from the county,” EACC argues.
The Commission claims the seven defendants used monies corruptly obtained from the county to acquire the properties and substantially developed some in a bid to conceal the proceeds of the fictitious contracts.
EACC valuers put the properties at over Sh382,395,000.
Other suspects are Christine Akinyi and Carolyne Anyango Ochola, a sister in law to Kwaga.
According to the EACC, the seven family members registered 16 firms which were special purpose vehicles for fraudulently securing tenders from the county government of Migori.
Two of the firms, Microsoft Limited and Duotech Technology, were incorporated in 2009 and 2010 respectively but remained largely dormant before 2013.
In an interesting twist, EACC says Auma’s firms — Kajulu Business and Pesulas Supplies — purportedly rendered high value specialized services which the commission established she has no knowledge of or expertise in.
Detectives also established that Ochanda who is a director of Swyfcon Engineering Ltd and Dolphus Software Ltd was an employee of the Migori county government, working as a pharmacist at Uriri sub county hospital.
The defendants according to EACC have been unable to explain their source of wealth.