Anti-graft detectives raid homes and offices of KPC staff

Former KPC Managing Director Charles Tanui. He is being investigated over the alleged fraud in the Sh647 million supply of hydrant pit valves. [File, Standard]

Detectives from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission raided the Nairobi homes and offices of staff of Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) in a probe into allegations of fraud.

The officials went to the homes of former Managing Director Charles Tanui, General Manager- Finance Samuel Odoyo and Amina Juma of procurement, looking for documents over the alleged fraud in the Sh647 million supply of hydrant pit valves.

EACC CEO Halakhe Waqo said the commission is investigating allegations of corruption in the award of the supply of the Hydrant pit valves complete with isolation valves and two year operational spares at Sh647 million.

The equipment are used in refuelling aircraft — at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and were procured in 2014.

The detectives went to the homes and offices of the former staff and serving staff and retrieved several documents and records that they say they are using in their probe.

“The investigations which extends to other jurisdictions that include United States and Canada is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed soon. Thereafter, appropriate recommendations will be made to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for action,” said Waqo.

In 2014, KPC tendered for the replacement of 60 HPVs to replace faulty and outdated ones at a cost of Sh600 million. All the 60 valves were delivered.

But before they could be put to use, EACC moved in to investigate the tendering process. The EACC investigations put a freeze on their use and stopped further payments to  the company that delivered them.

Amina was on May 23, 2017 charged in court with forgery of multi-million shilling Kenya Pipeline Company tender documents dating back to five years ago.

She and Beryl Aluoch Khasinah denied the charges read out to them before chief magistrate Francis Andayi.

Ms Khasinah was charged with conspiring to commit a felony, four counts of forgery, two counts of making a document without authority, two of obtaining registration by false pretence and another one of uttering a document with intent to deceive.

Mr Juma was charged with single counts of the offences of making a document without authority, forgery, uttering a document with intent to deceive and obtaining registration by false pretence.

The court was told that on September 4, 2014, Ms Khasinah allegedly conspired with others to forge a signature of one Micha Opundo on an Affidavit drawn by Nyandieka and Associates Advocates.