The recovered land cruiser belonging to the County Government of Garissa. EACC is investigating Garissa senior officials over the disappearance of the vehicle. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Anti-graft detectives have launched investigations against several top senior Garissa officials over the disappearance of a vehicle belonging to the county government.Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) spokesman Yasin Amaro said the commission’s detectives are investigating several senior officials in the procurement department.The detectives on Friday impounded the Land Cruiser said to be one of 27 vehicles purchased by Garissa county at a cost of Sh186 million in 2015.According to the EACC, the former Garissa County administration inflated the cost and ended up paying Sh246 million, far above the expected Sh186 million for procurement of the 27 vehicles.He said the commission has written to the CFS, demanding the Land Cruiser that was found at Kencot Container Freight Station in Mbaraki, Mombasa, be impounded until investigations are completed.“The consignment is one Land Cruiser which is valued at 9-10 million. It was part of 27 vehicles to be delivered to Garissa county. The one that was missing is what we have just recovered now and we have impounded it,” said Amaro on Friday.“Investigations are ongoing. We are looking into circumstances under which the vehicle continues to be held at the warehouse, with all the money paid for the delivery,” he added.Documents from EACC indicate that 26 other vehicles were delivered to the county prompting a tracking exercise to establish the location of the missing one.The clearing agent had already paid Sh1 million for clearance of the vehicle in January 2015, but the car has remained at the warehouse since April 2015.The county government had awarded a tender to a Nairobi-based company owned by Ali Ibrahim Kontoma to deliver the 27 vehicles in 2014.