A section of Migori County Assembly members has asked the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission to investigate the alleged Shs. 135 Million spent by Migori County Assembly.
While addressing the press on Monday the four, Hevron Mahira of Muhuru ward Thomas Akungo of Kaler ward, Elias Juma of Isebania ward and Mwita Mutangi of Nyabasi ward denied claims that they have spent kshs 135 million on foreign travel and allowances.
They maintained that the county government and assembly leadership that are responsible for the misuse of the money.
A report released by the Controller of Budget Ms Agnes Odhiambo revealed that MCAs increased their expenditure on trips and allowances during the first quarter of 2018/2019 fiscal year.
“We want the Ethics and Anti - Corruption Commissioner (EACC) to come and investigate the matter, it is not true according to us, the report should be investigated,” said Muhuru MCA Hevron Mahira.
“It is not true that MCAs have spent all that money on foreign trips. We have never made trips out of the country. The county government and county assembly officials are struggling to find a scapegoat from their corrupt schemes.I am very sure these officials know where the money went to and not the MCAs. Let everyone carry their own cross,” he added.
His sentiments were echoed by Mr Thomas Akungo who said that their signatures were forged to mint money from the exchequer for individual benefits.
"Let the EACC come and investigate the assembly document if it is true. All the information on the spent money are not true, we have not even come across the money or even received sitting allowances as reported,” said Mr Akugo.
"We want to condemn this report in the strongest terms possible and ask the Controller of Budget to find out from the county government where the money alleged to have been swindled has gone to," he said.
They further accused the county government of spending lots of money on ghost projects and looking for ways to justify the loss.
They called for a forensic audit to be done in all departments of the county government.
"We are sensing something sinister in the county of Migori. The county government has failed to initiate tangible projects and it is now blaming MCAs for spending lots of money on trips. No MCAs have gone out for trips,” Isibania ward MCA Elias Nyahure said.
“We are aware of the ghost projects that the county government has spent millions of money on and now they want to find ways of apportioning the blame elsewhere. As MCAs, we shall not be used as scapegoats for the embezzlement of funds by the county government." he added.
Migori county assembly is among a list of several other could ties which have been said to have misappropriated funds allocated to them.
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