In a significant crackdown on corruption, detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) apprehended Taita Taveta County Deputy Speaker Anselm Mwadime on Sunday in connection with a fraudulent trip to Zanzibar involving a staggering Ksh 17 million.
The arrest follows an intensive investigation into allegations of misappropriation during a bonding trip to Zanzibar, where it’s alleged that funds amounting to Ksh17 million were embezzled. The EACC revealed that the probe was initiated following a complaint lodged against Mwadime and Taita Taveta County Assembly Clerk Gadiel Mnyambo Maganga.
According to EACC’s statement, the investigation unearthed several irregularities surrounding the purported bonding trip. Among the findings, it was revealed that forged travel clearance letters were used to authorize the trip to Zanzibar, falsely attributed to the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Devolution.
Furthermore, discrepancies were discovered regarding the number of officials who actually participated in the trip compared to those who were paid imprest advances. Out of the 30 officers who received imprest payments, only 25 officials traveled to Zanzibar, resulting in a financial loss of over Ksh2 million due to unutilized imprest advances.
EACC’s investigation also revealed that full daily subsistence allowances were paid to officers during their stay in Zanzibar, despite the accommodation being pre-paid by Bonfire Adventures through WSPUK. This double payment led to a loss of public funds amounting to nearly Ksh4 million.
Following a thorough analysis of the findings, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions concurred with EACC’s conclusions. Consequently, Mwadime and Mnyambo Maganga are facing a litany of charges, including abuse of office, wilful failure to comply with procurement regulations, uttering false documents, false accounting, and financial misconduct.
EACC has issued a directive for Mnyambo Maganga to report to its Mombasa Regional Office for further processing as the investigation into the graft scandal progresses.
