Crucial compensation records and land document on Saturday, December 15, went missing at the National Lands Commission (NLC) offices at Ardhi House in unclear circumstances.
It is reported that the computer containing crucial documents that might have been containing answers to the corruption scandals that has rocked the commission was stolen from the office.
A report on Monday, December 17, indicated, sources claimed the NLC offices at the building’s second floor were broken into on Saturday, before the computer was stolen. The computer is said to contain among others, compensation records of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and compensation documents of dams acquired by the NLC.
The report further indicated the matter was reported at the Ministry of Lands and the commission is previewing CCTV footages to uncover the mystery.
The missing documents are reported to have been the basis of the arrests of top NLC officials and Kenya Railways bosses who were accused of compensating undeserving persons and entities.
Good morning @UKenyatta @DPPS_KE @EACCKenya @DCI_Kenya. One question for you good sirs- why was the information never backed up even after having National Land Commission senior officials under corruption investigation? pic.twitter.com/QEXDgz9kg6
— Frankline Mukwanja (@mukwanja) December 18, 2018
It is not clear whether the commissions had a back-up of the missing crucial documents which has put the it on the spot again. The incident occurred barely weeks after the commission’s boss, Mohamed Swazuri was released on KSh 3.5 million cash bail after he denied graft charges leveled against him.
Swazuri was on Saturday, August 11, arrested and held in police custody following an order by the DPP to have the lands office probed over funds lost in the SGR compensation scheme.
He was arrested alongside the Kenya Railways Managing Director (MD) Atanas Maina on Monday, August 13, and charged in court alongside 12 other top state officers Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi furthered ordered the accused not to access s their offices nor make any kind of contact with witnesses.
The truth in the multi-billion controversial land compensations may not be known after the National Land Commission lost a crucial database critical in the ongoing investigations into fraudulent payments.
Newspaper Analysis: Graft evidence stolen from Swazuri's office. Detectives called in after a computer holding crucial information on SGR compensations running into billions of shillings at the National Land Commission vanishes #JamboKenya pic.twitter.com/1MwNl0NW7d
— Radio Citizen (@RadioCitizenFM) December 18, 2018
The computer contains all-important data on all mega land compensation deals that the commision has been undertaking on behalf of the government.
The computer which was domiciled at the 2nd floor of the Ardhi House disappeared mysteriously on Sunday night in what could throw off balance a probe into irregular payouts to several companies and individuals in regards to SGR phase 1 and 2 compensation scheme.
Also lost is crucial data on the NLCs compensation programme for other various projects including dams and road expansion sites.
Yesterday both NLC chair Muhamad Swazuri and Abigael Mbagaya confirmed the loss.
“I am in the field at the moment deep into Malindi where there is low network connectivity the poor network. But I was given that hint of the loss and can only brief you more once I settle and get a full brief on the same,” Swazuri said.
“It is true. I was informed in the morning that the CPU had been stolen. But we have since called in the police and now it’s with the police because its loss of government data,” Mbagaya said.