E-Clips:- Business Pictorial - Anglo Leasing: MPs To Quiz Githongo In UK

Former anti-corruption czar John Githongo is to be questioned in London – to avoid arrest – by a watchdog committee of Kenyan MPs, in a bid to unravel the Anglo Leasing scandal. The Public Accounts Committee, headed by chairman Uhuru Kenyatta, will fly to the UK tomorrow night to interview Mr Githongo at the Kenyan High Commission at St James, in the heart of the capital.

And Mr Kenyatta, who is also the leader of the Official Opposition, said Mr Githongo had confirmed he was anxious to meet the MPs in a bid to throw more light on the scandal that has rocked President Kibakis three-year-old administration. He was being interviewed in London to avoid the possibility of arrest should he return to Kenya, Mr Kenyatta said.

He explained: "As of this day, we are interested in ensuring that Mr Githongo feels safe and is not afraid of being arrested ... we hear that he might be arrested for giving out official government secrets to the public." The interviews, to be held in private, will take place throughout Saturday and Sunday and if necessary be extended for another day.

And when the committee returns to Nairobi, it will hold further sessions to question those adversely mentioned in the scandal and obtain evidence which will be submitted to Parliament as a special report. Those likely to be called in Nairobi include former Finance minister David Mwiraria, former Transport minister Chris Murungaru who was National Security minister when the scandal was first revealed, and Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi, the then Justice minister whom Mr Githongo implicated as having been involved in a cover-up.

Mr Kenyatta will be heading a committee of seven MPs out of the 11-member committee. Those travelling to London with him will be Mr Billow Kerrow (Mandera Central), Government Chief Whip Norman Nyagah (Kamukunji), Mr Joseph Lagat (Eldoret East), Mr Charles Keter (Belgut), Mr Zebedeo Opore (Bonchari) and Mr Fahim Twaha (Lamu West). Missing will be the four MPs since appointed assistant ministers by Mr Kibaki: Ms Adelina Mwau (Labour), Mr Koigi Wamwere (Information), Mr Kembi Gitura ( Cooperatives) and Mr Ekwe Ethuro (Planning).

Partisan team

Announcing the visit, Mr Kenyatta said his committee would leave no stone unturned to find out the facts underpinning the scandal, and would work as a Parliamentary and not a partisan team. The Gatundu South MP confirmed that he met the former PS informally in London at the weekend when Mr Githongo had told him he was "anxious" to tell the committee everything he knows about the Anglo leasing affair.

"We invited Mr Githongo to appear before our committee and give information about Anglo Leasing and other corruption related issues. He has agreed and we will be leaving on Thursday to meet him in the UK. This is a Parliamentary committee and we will ensure we get to the bottom of the issue so that the public can know the whole truth," Mr Kenyatta said. He added his committee would also question the former PS on other corruption related cases which he had handled during his two-year tenure as Governance and Ethics watchdog, from January 2003. Mr Kerrow, who is the shadow Finance minister and accompanied Mr Kenyatta yesterday, said the interviews would be held on Saturday and Sunday but, "if we will not have finished with him in those two days, we might extend it to Monday."

He went on: "We have expanded the scope our investigations beyond the passports and forensic laboratory in the light of the unfolding revelations." Those two contracts, together worth Sh 6.8 billion, were the first deals uncovered involving the fictitious Anglo Leasing Finance Company. Since then many other contracts have been revealed which bear a striking similarity to the two original deals, in that huge payments have been made to non-existent companies for work that was not completed - or in some cases even started.

The money generated was then siphoned back to the Government to pay for politicial activites like the referendum on the new Constitution, last November, and to finance the 2007 General Election. The committees latest move to question Mr Githongo revives Parliaments relentless efforts to bring to the public the real people behind corruption under the Kibaki administration. Similar efforts were made by the Controller and Auditor General Mr E N Mwai last year when he conducted a special audit on the Sh2.7 billion passport terrorist-proof passport contract and the Sh4.1 billion deal to build forensic laboratories for the Criminal Investigations Department.

A controversial deal was the Sh4.1 billion contract to supply a Naval vessel from a Spanish shipyard. The report, which formed the basis on which the committee carried out further investigations, was tabled in the House by South Mugirango MP Mr Omingo Magara who was then chairman of the PAC.

However, the report was thrown out by an angry Parliament in protest after the Government marshalled sufficient support to pass a motion by the then Water minister Martha Karua (since promoted to Justice minister) deleting the name of Finance minister David Mwiraria, and thereby absolving him from any responsibility even though he had signed the Anglo Leasing contract.

Political storm

Mr Mwiraria argued then that he signed innocently and in good faith after being briefed by his officials. But the latest revelations by the Nation on Anglo Leasing type scandals created a political storm which has seen Mr Mwiraria resign to pave the way for a thorough investigation by the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission, headed by Mr Aaron Ringera.