Embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s woes have heightened as the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) is after his Sh500 million property in Upper Hill.
According to Star, the property which was a deal between the Kenya railways Pension scheme and the Governor has exposed antics of corruption.
The publication cites that the property which is located along Matumbato Road, right behind the five-star Radisson Blu Hotel is purchased by Sonko family at Sh498.5 million. The contract is reported to have been inked last year, April 30, where embattled Sonko made the payment of Sh144.6 million in just one week.
Read: MCAs Threaten To Impeach Sonko Over Wrangles With NMS
Apparently, this was six months before he was dramatically arrested by the EACC detectives and charged in the Sh357 million graft case.
The new controversy surrounding the said property indicates that the land was undervalued. For instance, the deal was between Sonko and former team of trustees of Kenya Railways staff retirement benefits scheme—Corporate and Trust Pension Services Ltd managing on behalf of Kenya Railways retirees.
Further, the contracts of the trustees reportedly expired three months after they sold the property, in July last year.
Read Also: Sonko Hoards Deed of Transfer Documents From the National Treasury, Insists on Pulling Out
Star reports that the EACC is investigating how the governor is said to have acquired the sum of the money to purchase the property.
EACC boss Twalib Mbarak reportedly wrote to the Scheme’s acting CEO Victoria Mulwa to avail at least eight sets of documents regarding the property by Wednesday. Mulwa is expected to be grilled on the same day at Integrity Centre.
“We hereby also invite your Ag. CEO for an interview and statement recording on the same date 6th May, 2020,” Mbarak wrote.
The documents needed by the EACC include the tender documents, payment documents, sale agreements, minutes of tender committee, approved subdivision and the main title deed.
Read Also: Sonko Links Withdrawal Of Security, Drivers To Recent Meeting With DP Ruto
The parcels sold to Governor Sonko are adjacent to each other and were excised from LR No 209-6507 measuring 0.7415 acres and 0.5003 acres respectively.
For the first property, he was to pay Sh298 million. Apparently he completed 26.6 million before the contract was implemented and a further 60 million in seven days after signing the deal.
Also, he was to buy the second parcel of land for Sh200.5 million and consequently paid 18 million before the contract was signed and a further 40 million in seven days after the contract was signed.
Read Also: ‘Power Comes and Goes’, Sonko Warns Uhuru’s Men At Harambee House
Sonko reportedly paid Sh144.6 million for the initial installment and was to pay the balance of Sh353.9 million after he received the complete documents.
However, he did not receive the documents from the Trustees committee by the time they left office.
Additionally, EACC has established that the property belongs to the pension scheme and has asked for a halt of the intended sale until investigations into it are completed.
“This is to ask you to halt the intended sale as the matter is under investigation,” Mbarak said in an April 29 letter.
Read Also: Governor Sonko Arrested In Voi, Being Escorted Back To Nairobi To Face Graft Charges
Sonko was arrested in December by the detectives from the EACC while escaping arrest at a roadblock in Voi, Taita Taveta County.
He was arrested and charged over alleged misappropriation of Ksh357 million from county coffers.
He was later on released on a Sh15 million cash bail and Sh30 million bond with a surety of a similar amount, with the case ongoing in court.
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