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Chief Officer Finance Asha Abdi
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Nairobi Chief Officer Finance Asha Abdi on The Spot Over Sh18.5 Million Fraudulent Payments
Authorities are investigating unauthorized payments amounting to Sh.18, 558,500 million to companies linked to Chief Officer Finance and Economic Planning Asha Abdi.
The authorities are relying on a complaint letter from Chief Officer Disaster Management and Coordination Bramuel Simiyu. The letter dated 10/11/2023 is titled; “Unauthorized Commitments and Transactions on IFMIS for the Disaster Management and coordination sector.
According to Bramuel, a series of irregular and unauthorized commitments and transactions were made on the IFMIS platform affecting the sector’s budget.
The payments made were for ghost suppliers prompting him to write to the Finance Chief Officer Asha Abdi who authorizes payments on the IFMIS platform.
Chief Officers for various sectors are always the first approvers for any payments to be made.
“It has come to my attention that there have been and there continues to be a number of irregular and/or unauthorized commitments and transactions made on the IFMIS platform that affects the sector budget,” the letter reads in its opening paragraph It further reads.
As the sector’s Accounting Officer and the First Approver on the IFMIS system, these commitments done without my knowledge and approval have the potential effect of affecting our ability to deliver on the programs we have committed to in our ADP, lead to audit queries and/or contribute to potential loss of public funds.
Further details from the letter indicate that the commitments were made even before the sector procurement plan for the year 2023/2024 had been approved and uploaded onto the IFMIS platform as required by the PFM Act.
As case in point as per the letter is a commitment of Ksh,15,658,500 invoiced from the Fire Fighting and Rescue Development Expenditure( Vote Head 0018/3111299-00001001-0726035310-53100001).
This was drawn from a vote Ksh.120 million budgeted for the construction of the Gikomba and Kangemi Fire Stations.
Other fraudulent transactions as per the letter include unauthorized invoicing using Emergency Fund for firms that have no known engagement with the sector.
Some of the payments mentioned include Ksh 2 million paid to Charleka Enterprises and Ksh 900,000 paid to Nichotech Enterprises.
“Given the foregoing, I wish to request for your intervention to establish how and under what circumstances these approvals are being done and if possible this be reversed,” Bramuel added.
Our investigations indicate that the amounts were never reversed and the EACC is now pursuing the matter.
Bramuel requested that alternative rights for the first approver be granted to the Deputy Director. Mr Brian Kisali Chunguli as the inquiry continued.
