A witness in the ongoing money laundering case against Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua now says he was coerced to sign a previous affidavit in the payment of over Ksh123 million.
Jim Carter Njagi, a director of Encartar Diagnostics Limited, says they had a deal for the supply of hospital operating theatre, ICU and maternity equipment to Bungoma county.
Njagi says that recently, he was forced to sign an affidavit indicating that the money was paid to his company’s account, which is false.
He says that on March 11, 2021, he received a call from Gachagua to go to his office at Liaison House where he found him with three other men.
“Rigathi then proceeded to show me a copy of a statement I recorded with police officers attached at the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA). He asked me why I indicated in the statement that he did not pay me my money,” says Njagi.
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Gachagua directed that the lawyer gives him a new affidavit to sign, then left the office. According to Njagi, he was not given time to go through the affidavit, he did not know its contents before signing.
The affidavit was commissioned by a lawyer identified as Meschack Obare.
“I was not consulted when the affidavit was being written. I did not consent to the preparation and writing of the affidavit,” he added.
ARA wants Gachagua to forfeit more than Sh200 million, suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
Most of the money was obtained from Bungoma and Kwale county governments, through Encarter Limited.
Njagi has accused Gachagua of using his company as a conduit of money laundering and acquiring wealth from government departments.
Gachagua is facing six charges among them conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, fraudulent acquisition of public funds, conflict of interest, money laundering and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
He is accused of acquiring Sh7.3 billion through dubious means between 2013 and 2020.
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