E-Clips:- Business Pictorial - Team Wants Awori Investigated For Involvement In The Deal

VICE-PRESIDENT Moody Awori should be investigated for the role he played in the Sh7 billion Anglo Leasing scandal. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by the Leader of the Official Opposition, Uhuru Kenyatta, said despite persistent denials, Awori was aware of the Anglo Leasing deal.

"The Permanent Secretary, Mr Sylvester Mwaliko, said his boss was made aware of the contracts and was informed at every stage and he wrote a letter dated September 5, 2003, in which he sought guidance from Awori over the contract," said the report. The committee said Awori authorised Mwaliko to submit the contract documents to the Attorney General and Treasury in a memo dated September 8, 2003.

His responsibility was also tied to a ministerial statement he read in Parliament, in which he exonerated himself and informed MPs that the Anglo Leasing and Finance contract was "valid".

"The Vice-President could only have read the statement with either an intention of a cover-up or he was unconcerned as to whether or not the statement was true," the report says.

In February, Awori called a news conference and challenged those with evidence against him to table it before calling for his resignation. "Who is my accuser? Where is the evidence? What are the charges against me?" posed Awori in his office.

His defence followed a sustained call for his resignation from the Opposition, civil society and a cross-section of wananchi. PAC said it was surprisedsustained society of that Awori painted the picture of no involvement in the affairs of his ministry when he was aware of what was happening.

"If the VP wanted the committee to believe that he had only a peripheral role in the processing of the Anglo Leasing contracts, then that would be an abdication o(his responsibility because under Section 22 (3) of the Constitution, it is required that he exercises the direction and control of his ministry," they said. The VP said Permanent Secretaries perform their duties without reference to the minister and that ministers may not even be aware of the progress of implementation once a policy document has been approved and forwarded to the Permanent Secretary. ,

It concluded that he was sufficiently involved in the implementation of the Anglo Leasing contract and should take responsibility for its shortcomings. The committee was also concerned that even after more information was released, Awori did not take the liberty of apologising to the country.

Awori is also accused of engaging in a misleading de- . fence of the reputation of Anglo Leasing in his ministerial statement in Parliament. The committee said former Permanent Secretary John Githongos told them that he warned Awori before the contract with Anglo Leasing was signed.

The committee said Githongo told them he briefed Awori about the contract at a lunch meeting in his house but he allowed it to be signed. Awori was alsoaccused of not stopping the transfer of the Principal Immigration Officer, Henry ole Ndiema, who had questioned the contracts.