- Anglo-Leasing scandal
The Anglo Leasing Scandal, also known as Anglo-fleecing, is the popular name for a corruption scandal in
Kenya .Origins
The scandal is alleged to have started when the
Kenya n government wanted to replace itspassport printing system, in the year2002 . Sophisticated passport equipment system was sourced fromFrance and forensic science laboratories for the police were sourced from Britain. The transaction was originally quoted at 6 million euros from a French firm, but was awarded to a British firm,Anglo Leasing Finance , at 30 million euros, who would have sub-contracted the same French firm to do the work. The tender was not publicly advertised, and its details were leaked to the media by a junior civil servant. The Anglo-Leasing sales agent wasSudha Ruparell , a 48 year old woman who is the daughter ofChamanlal Kamani and sister ofRashmikant Chamanlal Kamani &Deepak Kamani . The Kamani family has been involved in various security supplies scandals in the past. In January 2006, the Anglo Leasing Scandal was given fresh impetus through the publication of John Githongo's report. The new revelations indicate thatAnglo Leasing Finance was just one of a plethora of phantom entities, including some UK companies, used to perpetrate fraud on the Kenyan taxpayer through non-delivery of goods and services and massive overpricing.Impact
The then-British envoy to Kenya, Sir
Edward Clay , publicly raised the issue of Anglo-Leasing at a dinner inNairobi (see [http://www.guardian.co.uk/kenya/story/0,12689,1424014,00.html the Guardian Newspaper article] ). He subsequently came under pressure from Kenyan politicians to make public his evidence, and was reported to have provided the President,Mwai Kibaki , with a dossier containing details of corruption in the government. However, no one was punished and the case slipped from the public eye.Kenya's minister in charge of the project,
Chris Murungaru , was later on banned by the UK government from travelling to Britain, on the grounds that it would not be in the public good. It was widely reported that the ban was due to corruption by Mr Murungaru involving, among others, the Anglo-Leasing scam. [The Economist : [http://www.economist.com/printedition/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=4277328 The corruption is sickening] ]On
January 22 ,2006 ,John Githongo named Vice-PresidentMoody Awori as one of four top politicians (withKiraitu Murungi , former justice minister and present energy minister; finance ministerDavid Mwiraria and former transport ministerChris Murungaru ) as being involved. Public sympathy for Githongo reached its peak when he released audio recordings of an incriminating conversation with David Mwiraria on the internet. One of the tapes is still available [http://www.marsgroupkenya.org/pages/clips/Mwiraria-Githongo.php here] . He also claimed that PresidentMwai Kibaki was complicit in the affair. Githongo claimed that the money raised would have funded the then government's forthcoming 2005 Constitutional Referendum and 2007 Election campaign. Githongo's report can be read [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/09_02_06_kenya_report.pdf here] . These allegations were denied by Awori and Murunguru and an investigation was promised.In February, in an interview with the
BBC , Githongo told of his meeting with Kiraitu, during which the then Justice minister tried to blackmail him over a loan his (Githongo's) father is said to owe businessmanAnura Pereira . "The minister of Justice was telling me that if I eased off my inquiries, then my father's loan matter would be made to go away," Githongo said. He had an audiotape, which was played on the BBC.Githongo's Exile
In an interview with
Fergal Keane for theBBC 'sNewsnight programme on8 February 2006 , Githongo revealed [ [http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/git0602.php Githongo Dossier] ] what he claims is taped evidence proving thatKiraitu Murungi attempted to impede his inquiries [BBC News : [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4695354.stm 'Taped evidence' in Kenya scandal] (includes 3.3Meg PDF of Githongo's dossier - a blockbuster)] . Murungi suggested that a 30M Shilling loan to his father by a lawyer A.H. Malik had been bought byAnura Pereira , and might be forgiven in exchange for 'going slow' on the Anglo Leasing investigation. He reveals that at the end of his investigations, he came to the inescapeable conclusion that the Anglo Leasing scandal went all the way to the top, and as a consequence his life was in danger. Anglo Leasing, and many other similar deals, were, in part, back-door financing to pay for NARC's election bid in 2007.Dismissals and Resignations
*On
November 23 ,2005 , PresidentMwai Kibaki dissolved his cabinet following a humiliating defeat on a referendum on the proposed constitution of Kenya. In the resulting re-shuffle,Chris Murungaru was not re-appointed.
*OnFebruary 1 David Mwiraria became the first of those implicated in the report to resign, doing so live on television. He maintained his innocence and claimed that he was resigning in order to clear his name. [BBC News : [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4670120.stm Kenyan 'graft' minister resigns] ]
*A day later,Moody Awori refused to resign, saying he saw no reason to. [BBC News : [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4674704.stm Kenyan deputy refuses to resign] ] A day later a group of 80 MPs called for the sacking of Awori, threatening street protests if their requests were not met.BBC News : [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4711546.stm Travel ban in Kenya scam inquiry] ]
*On13 February , PresidentMwai Kibaki announced thatKiraitu Murungi had resigned to allow full investigation into the allegations [cite news|title=Kenyan 'graft' ministers resign|date=February 13 ,2006 |publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4710138.stm|accessdate=2006-02-13] . Murungi's resignation was announced in a television address by President Kibaki, though he too denies any wrongdoing.
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