Anglo leasing scandal
The Anglo leasing scandal was a major financial scandal in Kenya that occurred under the administration of President Mwai Kibaki .
In the Anglo leasing scandal, around EUR 85 million disappeared through subsequent financial transfers to a number of front companies. A third of the 30 million euros involved the purchase of forgery-proof identity cards. According to a statement by John Githongo , the country's "anti-corruption czar", some of the money (US $ 4.7 million on June 7, 2004) was returned to government accounts via dark channels - apparently from the fictional company Anglo Leasing through a Zurich bank. Other scandals such as the corrupt acquisition of a warship - also in the field of semi-public companies - came to light.
In particular, Githongo even accused Vice President Moody Awori and the resigned or dismissed ministers David Mwiraria (finance), Kiraitu Murungi (energy) and Chris Murungaru (security and transport) and other politicians of corruption. This report was published in January 2006 in the two major newspapers in the country (Daily Nation and Standard). Angry denials and threats of legal action by those publicly named were the result.
Githongo increased the burden of proof and had tape recordings made to the BBC in London in February 2006 . On them you could hear how he B. should be bribed by Chris Murungaru. This brought the “anti-corruption tsar” accused of being a British spy who wanted to overthrow the Kibaki government. Githongo was visited by the “Public Accounts Committee” (PAC) under the direction of Uhuru Kenyatta for several days in London and asked about his knowledge of the various corruption scandals. In Kenya, a new word creation "githongoring" for "secretly record irrefutable evidence" made the rounds.
As a result of the publication in the BBC and the reprint of the talks in the Kenyan newspapers, Vice-President Moody Awori and other ministers and state secretaries were summoned at the end of February 2006 . High-ranking business people were also interrogated and had to surrender their passports, such as Deepak Kamani and Jimmy Wanjigi , who are said to be behind the Anglo-Leasing scandal. Several directors of semi-public organizations have been suspended. The new director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KAAC), Judge Aaron Ringera , recommended that the attorney general indict eight state secretaries and eighteen directors of state organizations in 145 cases. In March 2006, 519 cases of major corruption were heard. The KAAC opened its own small website (see: Weblinks).
On March 30, 2006, the speaker of the parliament allowed the PAC report, which, along with Vice-President Awori, was to accuse well-known government representatives of corruption and which many government representatives in parliament were to suppress, for discussion. According to this report, President Kibaki himself is not involved in the scandal, but was informed early on by Githongo. In April 2006, Justice Minister Martha Karua declared in parliament to a standing ovation from the government faction and opposition that the government had accepted the PAC report as the basis for its fight against corruption in government and administration. To this end, the government has formed an inter-ministerial committee. However, she also warned against prejudice by the press and political opponents; here the court has to find the truth. And she emphasized that all corruption had already existed in the Moi era and that these older incidents also require clarification.
On May 26, 2006, the Supreme Court, headed by Judge Festus Azangalala, allowed ex-minister of security and transport Chris Murungaru to summon anti-corruption tsar John Githongo , who lives in exile in London. Githongo had to appear in court and testify within 45 days of delivery of the summons.