E-Clips:- Business Pictorial - House Team To Ask Githongo About Other Corrupt Deals

Parliament's Public Accounts Committee leaves today for London to interview anti-corruption czar John Githongo on what he knows about graft in the last three years.Mandera Central MP Billow Kerrow, who is among the seven members, said the MPs would not confine themselves to the controversial Anglo Leasing deals but look into other corruption cases Mr Githongo may be aware of."We will want to know from him what he knows about corruption in Kenya in the past three years," said Mr Kerrow.

Three senior Cabinet ministers and Civil Service head Francis Muthaura have been adversely mentioned in a 31-page dossier by Mr Githongo, a former Ethics and Governance permanent secretary.Former Finance minister David Mwiraria resigned last week after it was reported that he authorised the signing of Anglo Leasing deals in December 2003.It was alleged that all the suspicious contracts worth billions of shillings signed during Narcs rule happened when he was in charge at the Treasury.

Mr Mwiraria has denied any wrongdoing and appealed for speedy investigations, which, he said, would clear his name.Vice-President Moody Awori has refused to resign after he was accused of misleading Parliament by saying there was no impropriety in a questionable deal to buy passport-issuing equipment when the Immigration Department was under his watch.Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi, who too has refused to resign, is alleged to have said that money from one of the contracts - the buying of a naval ship - was required for a political project and urged caution in investigations.

Former National Security minister Chris Murungaru, under who the ship deal fell, was said to have been the chairman of the resource mobilisation committee.Mr Muthaura is also alleged to have told Mr Githongo to adopt a less aggressive approach to Anglo Leasing investigations.The committees work in London is likely to cost about Sh4.5 million in air tickets and allowances.Return business class air tickets to London for the seven committee members would take Sh1.2 million if charged at Sh180,000 each.

Three employees of Parliament - two Hansard reporters and a clerk of the committee - will accompany the team. They will fly economy class, at about Sh70,000 a ticket.Based on rates approved by the Parliamentary Service Commission, MPs receive a US$501 (Sh36,000) a day in allowances.Staff on the Hansard and in the Clerks office who normally accompany House committees to record their proceedings word-for-word, are usually paid a daily allowance of between US$378 (Sh26,838) and US$460 (Sh32,660), depending on their job group.

Apart from Mr Kerrow, those travelling to London with PAC chairman Uhuru Kenyatta are 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 five MPs since appointed assistant ministers.