EACC raids Homa Bay County office over fraud claims

 

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers visited the Homa Bay County Assembly for the second day to investigate claims that senior officials were linked to fraud.

The commission is investigating how one of the County Assembly officials made land transactions amounting to Sh100 million and constructed palatial homes in questionable circumstances.

The officials on the spot are Assembly Clerk Kephers Otieno and Principal Finance Officer Maurice Amek, whose offices were ransacked.

On Wednesday, anti-graft officers from the Commission’s Southern Nyanza office detained Amek after searching his office and his two palatial homes in the town.

Friday, EACC South Nyanza Regional officer Abraham Kemboi told journalists that they were investigating corruption involving the loss of millions of shillings but did not divulge more details.

Senior officers at the Assembly are reported to be living beyond their means.

A source who witnessed the search said the EACC got a number of crucial documents that will aid in their investigations.

“The officers also recovered several land ownership agreements and title deeds recently acquired by the officials valued at about Sh100 million. Log books of expensive motor vehicles were also recovered,” said the source.

Meanwhile, the EACC is still looking for Mr Otieno who went into hiding when the investigations into the irregular use of county funds began, and was not in his office when the officers visited.

“Our efforts to pursue him have not yielded fruit,” said Kemboi.