Role Played By The Four In Passport Ignominy

Daily Nation

15 May 2004 Page: 5

As permanent secretary at the Treasury, Mr Magari ranks a notch above all his compatriots except the head of the civil service. As the storm over the passport deal erupted, he found himself firmly in the spotlight as it was the Treasury that led the move to elevate an ordinary upgrading of the passport issuing system by the Immigration Department into a multi-phase project, at Sh2.7 billion, more than three times the original cost. It was Mr Magari who signed the suspect contract with a mysterious firm, Anglo-Leasing and Finance Company, who were paid Sh91 million as 3 per cent commitment fee. Mr Magari also happens to be an uncle of businessman Jimmy Wanjigi, who was mentioned in Parliament as one those who brokered the deal alongside another controversial merchant, Deepak Kamani. Mr Silvester Mwaliko A low-keyed permanent secretary in the Office of Vice-President and Ministry of Home Affairs, which is charge of the Immigration Department, Mr Mwalikos involvement might stem largely from the office he holds. He is the accounting officer in the ministry, but seems to have ignored protestations by Principal Immigration Officer Henry ole Ndiema that the giant project mooted by the Treasury was way beyond the user-requirements. Dr Wilson Sitonik The Director of the Treasury-based Government Informational Technology (GIT) Services, Dr Sitonik was responsible for the technical evaluation that set aside the Immigration Department passport project and imposed the far more expensive one pushed by the Treasury. Miss Dorcas Achapa A new name in the line-up, Ms Achapa is the chief litigation counsel in the Attorney-Generals chambers. Any Government contract, including those involving international lending, must be scrutinised and approved by the Attorney-General as chief legal adviser to the Government. Ms Achapa may have been involved in giving a faulty and suspicious contract a clean bill of health .