A KERRA official is seeking for release of Sh 21 million meant to be paid as dowry for his fiancée which was frozen last week by court.
Daniel Wambua has moved to court asking for the funds to be unfrozen so that he can proceed to go and pay dowry for his wife to be.
Last week, EACC got orders to freeze Wambua’s accounts including one account that has Sh 21 M which he now claims was specifically for dowry payment.
Through Lawyer Danstan Omari, Wambua now says that EACC erroneously tagged that account which was opened specifically for dowry payments and his family and friends had contributed to that kitty.
According to court papers, the said account was not a personal account but was registered as Daniel Wambua Dowry Payment and it was to run for a period of four months until the day of the function.
He has attached the bank opening form and also the Whatsapp group that was used to collect the funds for the dowry.
At least 800 people have contributed towards the said dowry that he says has since halted due to the money being frozen.
He says people are still sending money to that account as contributions towards his dowry payment.
Omari says that his client is required by tradition to fulfill his promise of dowry payment and is yet to do that due to EACC false implication that the said account designated for dowry payment is a product of corruption.
“The amount in the DANIEL WAMBUA DOWRY PAYMENT Account number 0840184059257 was specifically for the purpose of collecting funds from friends and well- wishes for the purposes of Dowry payment for my intended marriage to my wife of choice,” court papers read.
He says the funds from that account are not from his earnings but from well-wishers and friends which cannot be said to be proceed of crime.
“There was an online platform group created by those who wished to contribute and pledge to my cause whereas a whatsapp group was duly formed and contributions began to be channeled virtually via M-pesa paybill number 247247 account 221666,” Wambua claims.
Wambua further says he is well known in his community and that’s why he got that much money as contribution towards his dowry payment.
He has attached the Whatsapp group with the contribution lists stating what each person contributed towards the wedding.
He says EACC should tell court the interest they have in his marriage which led them to halt his ceremony without any justifiable reasons thereby causing his embarrassment with his in-laws.
Wambua has denied claims by EACC that his wealth is from proceeds of crime saying apart from being a civil servant he is also a large-scale farmer.
He has further dismissed the allegation by EACC that he earns Sh 55,000 monthly salary producing his current payslip in court which states that he earns Sh 170,000.