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Suspects linked to the Sh791 million that authorities say was fraudulently paid out by National Youth Service (NYS) have sought to explain sources of their huge sums of money.
The Government has moved to freeze and attach assets belonging to those named in the NYS scandal, setting the stage for a legal battle with the suspects, who insist they never handled dirty cash.
In a gazette notice signed by Assets Recovery Agency Director Muthoni Kimani, properties belonging to eight people, including businessman Ben Gethi, were listed among those frozen by the High Court.
Also targeted are John Kago, Josephine Kabura, Charity Wangui Gethi (Ben's mother), Jedidah Wangari Wangui (Ben's sister), Sam K Mwadime, lawyers Patrick Onyango Ogola and Martin Muthoni Gitonga.
They have made applications in court to challenge the order issued to freeze their assets over corruption suspicion.
Ogola, whose properties have been frozen, has confirmed he received Sh103 million from Kago but added it was for conveyancing transactions.
The lawyer said in the course of his dealings with Kago, he developed a good rapport with him that culminated in his offer to sell to him his vehicle KCB 750Z. The Range Rover is among the property targeted for recovery.
Gethi's mother says she owns the prime land in Muthaiga, Thika and Rosslyn Estate in Nairobi and that together with her daughter Jedidah, they own Eden Times Restaurant located on the Ground Floor Mercury Building on Moi Avenue in Nairobi.
"The properties and business referred to in paragraphs 6 and 7 above were lawfully purchased with finance from my legitimate business resources, including money paid to me from Horizon Limited," says the affidavit.
She said she knows Kago as a land agent and that she had entrusted him with her resources when purchasing land. Charity says she does not know Kabura, who is believed to be the main link between her and the NYS money.
And Kago says, in his affidavit, that he has never been a supplier of NYS or been paid by the service.
He admitted he knew Ms Kabura and that she had deposited Sh60 million into his account to enable him make some investments into his business but the money was a loan advanced to him.
He said application as fashioned under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act is manifestly defective and the freezing order should be set aside.
Gethi said no direct or indirect link has been established linking him or his companies into the alleged dubious dealings at NYS and therefore his inclusion in these proceedings is without legal basis.
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