Agency claims former PS had no tax returns to prove she was engaged in other businesses

Former PS Lillian Omollo follows proceedings at a Milimani court during pre-trial conference . 20/6/2018. [George Njunge/Standard]

An agency has claimed former Youth and Gender Affairs PS Lillian Omollo has no tax returns to prove she is engaged in businesses worth her wealth.

The latest evidence by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) has added misery to Ms Omollo as the agency stepped up the fight to recover Sh33 million frozen in her accounts over claims they are proceeds of Sh467 million stolen from the National Youth Service.

An investigator with ARA, Isaac Nakitare, in his affidavit filed in court yesterday claimed they received Ms Omollo’s income tax returns from 2015 to 2018 which do not disclose any income from farming business.

“The only income she disclosed for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 are her salary returns from Nepad Kenya Secretariat and the State Department for Public Service. There is nothing to prove sources of millions of shillings in her account,” said Nakitare.

According to the investigator, Omollo’s tax returns obtained from Kenya Revenue Authority indicates she does not have any farming business which generates income that can justify her wealth.

Systematic fraud

ARA says since Omollo and other suspects were charged in relation to Sh467,896,993 theft at NYS, investigations have revealed a systematic fraud and siphoning of public funds which must be recovered and returned to the State.

The agency detailed how suspicious deposits were made in Omollo’s accounts using her firms and her children to cover up theft of NYS money, and that all the money was deposited between 2016 and 2018 when she was PS.

ARA stated that when they summoned Ms Omollo, she stated that the money in dispute was given to her by her husband who is a co-director in their companies, and that some were proceeds of farming business they do in Siaya.

Lady Justice Hedwig Ong’udi, in December last year, froze ten accounts belonging to Omollo, her three companies and her three children pending determination of the dispute.