MP Aduma Owuor arrested, to be charged with economic crime

Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor. He has been arrested by EACC officers over suspeted involvement in economic crime. [File, Standard]

Nyakach Member of Parliament Aduma Owuor has been arrested by the officers of Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over suspected involvement in economic crime.

A statement from the Chief Executive Officer of the EACC Twalib Mbarak has revealed that the legislator has been arrested over claims of involvement of what the commission describes as organised economic crime.

It partially read: “Today, 11th, July 2019, EACC arrested Hon. Aduma Joshua Owuor, the Member of Parliament of Nyakach Constituency in Kisumu.”

“Hon. Aduma will be arraigned tomorrow, 12th July 2019, to answer charges of conspiracy to commit an economic crime, and abuse of office during his tenure as the Director, Legal Affairs at the Nairobi City County.”

The statement released on Thursday, however, fails to give more details on how the MP may have aided the corruption dealings.

The Commission has said that his arrest precedes an investigation into the circumstances in which Nairobi City County irregularly paid Sh68 million to M/S Wachira, Mburu, Mwangi and Company Advocates. The amount was said to have been paid as County’s legal fees in a case against Kyavee Holdings Limited.

The EACC has also stated that the arrest of the MP was approved by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions who received the file upon completion of the investigation on April 4, 2019.

The Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji said in a statement that his office has obtained enough evidence to nail suspects involved in multimillion shilling payout.

In the statement, the DPP has listed former Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero, former Nairobi County Chief of Staff George Wainaina Njogu and former County’s Principal Accountant Philomena Kavinya Nzuki as other suspects. The list contains 16 suspects and a company called The Cups Limited.