It has now emerged that Mr.Elim Peter Epagan and his father Peter Endapal, Turkana County head of accounting Esther Lokai, Public Health Inspector Mathew Kipkemei, senior accountant Grace Murei Director of Education Samuel Eregae, James Chegem, who is the county’s head of stores have managed to trick the EACC and may not be arrested anytime soon despite them alledgdly dwindling the Turkana County Government Sh185M.
This is after the suspects through their lawyer Jack Bigambo obtained a court order from the High court stopping the EACC from arresting them in the scandal.
The order has now blocked the Turkana residence from getting justice but according to Thomas Etyang, EACC needs to act smart for justice to prevail.
” EACC has been blocked, it cannot arrest them anymore, this guys seems to be untouchable and Iam calling upon the CEO and the Anti-Graft body Chair to act and get them to the corridors of justice,” he said.
Etyang is a human right activists and has in the past fought for the rights of the poor.
Our reporter will be reaching out to the EACC bosses to inquire on the matter.
According to multiple reports, EACC has listed the above suspects as being part of cartels that colluded to steal public funds in Turkana County.
According to EACC, the company is owned by Epagan, who is married to the county’s Head of Accounting (Esther Lokal), who used her position to award the contracts and authorise payments even when the goods had not been supplied.
“In just one instance, the county paid Sh25 million to the company to supply 6,024 bags of corn soya but the goods were never delivered,” said Ashitiva.
The commission has investigated Michael Kasilon whose in his own in his affidavit, swore that they received a report in August last year on the fraudulent payments made to the company for eight years and upon investigations discovered they had siphoned Sh185,638,899.
Kalison stated that the county officials colluded with the company and issued false inspection reports and acceptance certificates to prove that the company had made the supplies and justify the huge payments.
“We established that the accounting officer was directly involved in the fraud as a director of the company which is owned by her husband and father-in-law. She went ahead to approve the payments for self-benefit and shared the kickbacks with other officials,” said Kalison.