This archive report was first published on 29 June 2020.
On June 29, 2020, the High Court issued a freezing order on over Sh200 million deposited in bank accounts belonging to Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.
The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) had petitioned the court to freeze the funds, which were received from various government agencies and are suspected to be proceeds of crime.
According to documents filed in court, the money was deposited in accounts at Rafiki Micro Finance and was channeled from the Ministry of Lands (Kenya Informal Settlements Programme), State Department for Special Planning, Ministry of Health, Bungoma County government, Mathira Constituency Development Fund, Nyeri County government, and the National Irrigation Board.
The freezing orders, issued by Justice John Onyiego, block MP Gachagua from accessing three accounts that hold Sh165 million, Sh35 million, and Sh773,228.
Additionally, a fourth account, registered in the name of Jenne Enterprises, holds Sh1,138,142.
ARA launched investigations against Gachagua and Jenne in March after receiving information on suspected money-laundering schemes.
“There are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspect’s bank accounts were used as a conduit for money laundering in efforts to conceal, disguise the nature, source, disposition, and movement of illicit funds and should be preserved,” the agency said.
