There is a new twist to the tangled Sh791 million National Youth Service (NYS) saga. One of the suspects implicated in the saga, has claimed that a whopping Sh130 million confiscated from two other suspects by investigating officers is missing.
Jane Wangeci Gichuki, a supply chain management assistant, claimed on Sunday that the money was taken from the homes of two female suspects, both NYS suppliers, during the July 20, 2015 morning raid.
The women are said to have told police that the money was meant to pay suppliers who delivered materials for projects in Kibera. They also repeated the claim, via emissaries, to The Standard. One of the women is said to have lost Sh80 million and the other Sh50 million during the raid.
For obvious reasons, this is a mind-boggling story. Why would anyone keep Sh80 million at home? And, for heaven's sake, would public officers tasked with investigating grand theft of public money steal the cash they recover?
The allegations are as shocking as they are incredulous and one might be tempted to dismiss them at face value. But doing so would be a big mistake, and this is why.
When CORD leader Raila Odinga started screaming from the rooftops that money had been stolen from NYS, many never took him seriously. He was scoffed at and sneered at by Jubilee honchos who interpreted the rants as just another attempt by the Opposition leader to buff up his image ahead of 2017. In addition, Government officials denied vehemently that any money had been lost. Today, at least on this matter, Raila walks with his head held high and we all know why.
In fact, history has taught us a vital lesson — never ignore a whiff of smoke. That's why police (or who should we entrust with job) should move in speedily and, with their investigative shovels and spades, quickly dig up the truth. It is unfortunate that security agencies are insisting that a complaint must be lodged for them to swing into action. We feel this should not be the case.
Finally, Ms Wangeci, just like any other whistleblower, deserves protection. To avoid evidence tampering, the two suspects should also be protected.
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