Interior Ministry on the Spot over Millions Lost in Flouted Police Helicopter Purchase

The Public Accounts Committee wants the Ministry of Interior probed over the payment of Sh72.3 million extra for a twin-turbine engine VIP helicopter that was supposed to cost Sh2.2 billion.

The PAC committee wants the Auditor General to conduct a special audit of the helicopter deal.

The report also indicates a police helicopter crashed only four months after being bought and did not have insurance or a warranty.

However, no officer has been held responsible for these anomalies.

The powerful committee wants the DCI and EACC to investigate what it suspects was a clear case of falsification of records for brand-new police shoes at the stores.

When the auditors checked the situation on the ground, using 12 police divisions as a sample, records showed that they ordered 454 pairs of shoes and got 63 pairs. The records in Nairobi showed that 392 pairs were issued.The Auditor General concluded that the records in Nairobi were falsified.

While 57 field units had asked for 12,852 pairs of shoes, they were only given 3,763 pairs, meaning there was a shortfall of 9,089 pairs.

“The DCI and EACC are directed to carry out an investigation into the distribution of 12,852 pairs of footwear to fifty-seven (57) police field units across the country with a view to establishing whether there was a loss of public money and initiating prosecution against persons found culpable,” the report says.