Law firm joined in Sh284 million graft case against accountant

A law firm has been dragged into a corruption case against Andrew Biketi Musuya who is accused of defrauding the Trans Nzoia county government of Sh284 million.

This was after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) yesterday obtained orders allowing them to enjoin Sachdeva, Nabhan and Swaleh Advocates in the suit.

Mr Musuya is Trans Nzoia’s principal accountant.

EACC accuses the law firm of helping him buy property using money they suspect was looted from public coffers.

Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi yesterday directed that the prosecution’s application be amended to include the firm as an interested party.

According to EACC, Musuya transferred Sh7.8 million to the law firm part of which — Sh4.3 million — was used to buy him a property. A balance of Sh3.5 million is still being kept in the firm’s account, the commission added.

“The law firm is a necessary party since they are holding money belonging to Musuya which is suspected to have been obtained through corruption. They need to be included so that they be aware of any order that might be issued to recover the proceeds,” said lawyer Roseline Murugi.

EACC is seeking to recover Sh284,087,664 and properties worth millions of shillings from Musuya arguing that his wealth is proceeds of corruption and money laundering since it does not tally with his monthly salary of Sh101,000.

Musuya is said to have accumulated the wealth from the time he was employed as an accountant at the county government of Trans Nzoia in November 2014.

The commission submitted that their investigations revealed a chain of secret deals involving the accountant, his wife Salome Waleghwa and a private consultant named Isaiah Walubengo.

EACC claimed that Musuya registered a company - Mukuyu Petroleum Dealers - which he used to deposit large sums of money on a daily basis.

The case will be heard on September 18.