Tharaka Nithi Governor to appear before Public Accounts Committee for the seventh time

 

Tharaka Nithi Governor Samuel Ragwa will appear for the seventh time before Senate Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, to answer queries relating to the 2013/14 audit report after failing in previous occasions to submit accounting documents.PHOTO: COURTESY

Tharaka Nithi Governor Samuel Ragwa will Tuesday appear, for the seventh time, before the Senate Public Accounts Committee to answer queries relating to the 2013/14 audit report after failing in previous occasions to submit accounting documents.

The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission has, at the same time, written to the governor on intention to investigate the county expenditures.

The anti-graft agency will pitch tents in the county for one week to conduct thorough investigations on county staff after it emerged that some senior officials were walking around with millions in cash.

The Standard also learnt that already some homes of the county executives were secretly being raided by the anti-graft detectives and large amounts of cash recovered, reports EACC has denied to confirm.

A Month ago, Deputy Governor Eliud Mate claimed that he had lost Sh3.5 million to his bodyguard, raising eyebrows over the sudden source of wealth. This prompted the anti-graft agency to raid his two homes in Meru (Makutano) and Tharaka (Tunyai) where they recovered huge sums of money and fake currency at his ally's home.

Senate Public Accounts’ Committee is set to visit the county to see how money allocated to it has been spent after an uproar from the public over ghost projects.

According to the 2013/14 Auditor General’s report, more than Sh1.2 billion public funds could not be accounted for and the Governor could not avail documents to support the county expenditure.

Senator Kithure Kindiki said the Senate will work tirelessly to protect devolution and ensure public funds are not embezzled.

He called upon county bosses to ensure that 60 percent of the funds they receive from the treasury and collection from the counties is used on development.

Governor Ragwa has maintained that the county funds have not been misused assuring to cooperate with the committee in the grilling session.