Kidero grilled by EACC detectives over Sh50m suspicious payments
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission detectives questioned Governor Evans Kidero on Thursday over suspicious payments made to lawyers by City Hall.
EACC chief executive officer Halakhe Waqo said Dr Kidero was required to record a statement regarding more than Sh50 million alleged to have been paid out in unscrupulous deals.
“The allegation is that the money was paid to lawyers for legal representations in court for cases that did not exist. We therefore want to establish if the lawyers were used as conduits to swindle money at City Hall,” he said.
In Isiolo, anti-graft officers also raided the home of Isiolo Governor Godana Doyo and carted away some documents.
The officers from EACC headquarters and those from the local office accompanied by armed police were initially barred from entering the governor’s residence in Tulloroba at around 6am, but were later allowed in after Mr Doyo’s lawyer Kinoti Mbaabu arrived.
The county boss is facing charges of economic crimes and abuse of office.
RANSACKED HOMES
The team also ransacked the homes of some undisclosed county officials for evidence to back their case against the county boss.
Isiolo Roads and Infrastructure chief officer Amina Godana and head of Treasury Elijah Nduati were grilled.
EACC upper eastern director Ignatius Wekesa said officials were after documents that will aid in the ongoing investigation into a Sh271 million road which was never constructed.
However, Mr Doyo, who spoke to the Nation by phone, said the raid was politically instigated by Mr Waqo, who hails from the same county.
“This is a deliberate effort to try and cripple the services of Isiolo and paint us in bad light and we will not accept that. In the last election, Mr Waqo campaigned against me in support of his clansmen who lost.”
He also dismissed EACC claims of a Sh271 million road project, saying the highest amount the county ever spent was Sh70 million on a bridge.
Dr Kidero in the meantime denied being under investigation, adding that at no time did he set foot at Integrity Centre.
However, EACC official Kairichi Marimba said he was required to “shed light on some contracts” awarded by City Hall.
