Balambala MCA Abdi Ibrahim Daar Charged in Sh51.5 Million Garissa County Fraud Case
Balambala MCA Abdi Ibrahim Daar and two former senior officials of the Garissa County Government have been charged over an alleged Sh51.5 million fraud.
The case relates to payments made about four years ago for goods and services that were allegedly never supplied.
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Who Has Been Charged?
Daar, who is the director of Qorjarey Enterprise and General Supplies Ltd, appeared in court alongside:
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Mohamud Dubow Korame, former Director of Accounting Services
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Yusuf Bethe Ali, former Senior Principal Economist
The three face multiple charges. These include conspiracy to commit corruption, abuse of office, forgery, and fraudulent acquisition of public funds.
What the Prosecution Says
According to the charge sheet, the offences were committed between April 5, 2022, and June 30, 2022, in Garissa County.
Prosecutors allege that Korame and Ali facilitated the transfer of Sh51.4 million from the county government to the company. However, the money was allegedly paid for goods and services that were never delivered.
In addition, the payments were reportedly approved without following proper procurement procedures.
Korame is accused of approving the payments. On the other hand, Ali allegedly raised invoices through the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) to support the transactions.
Allegations Against Daar
Daar is accused of forging letters of acceptance, vouchers, and other payment documents.
At the time, he was working as a Social Development Officer at the county government.
The documents allegedly related to the delivery of furniture, emergency relief food, and emergency water trucking services to Balambala Sub-County. However, investigators say no such supplies were made.
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EACC Investigation
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) launched investigations after claims that the county government made irregular payments to Qorjarey Enterprise.
The alleged payments were made between August 2021 and September 2022.
Although the company claimed it supplied emergency food and water services, investigators reportedly found no evidence of delivery.
Bail Terms
The court ordered each accused person to deposit a cash bail of Sh2 million.
Alternatively, they can secure a bond of Sh5 million each.
Meanwhile, the EACC has said it will file a civil case to recover the alleged stolen funds, in addition to the criminal charges.
The matter will proceed in court as the prosecution prepares its evidence.
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