Four suspects arrested over 97.6 million missing NYS money. Photo/the-star.co.ke
The loss of funds at the National Youth Service (NYS) has led to The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) being granted rights to transfer Sh97.6 million to government from four bank accounts of suspects linked to the crime.The accounts are registered under Sam Mwadime and Charity Wangui Githe.The High Court has ordered that the funds held in the accounts at different banks be transferred to an account under the ARA at the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) .ARA director Muthoni Kimani on July 31 wrote an application seeking preservation orders for the funds held by the duo on grounds that they were proceeds of crime.In a Friday notice the deputy registrar of the High Court said, “It is hereby ordered that the total amount of Sh97, 682,424 be deposited into the account at KCB Limited KICC Branch in the name of the Applicant (ARA) until the final determination of the matter”.Ms Wangui is said to have transferred part of the proceeds to an account under Mr Mwadime.She is the mother of one of the key suspects in the theft of Sh791 million from the National Youth Service (NYS). In February, Ms Wangui lost the fight to reclaim a downtown hotel in Nairobi after the High Court ruled that ARA should continue holding on to the hotel until conclusion of forensic investigations. The money she stole from the NYS is suspected to funded this hotel. The hotel is known as Eden Times restaurant located at Tom mboya.Other properties seized under Ms Wangui’s name were a house in Rosslyn Estate valued at Sh63.5 million and a jeep valued at Sh6.3 million.Following these developments, the court issued the orders prohibiting transfer, mortgage, attachment or disposal of three plots registered under Ms Wangui’s name in Muthaiga North in Nairobi and in Thika.