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A senior Treasury official is battling to retain his assets, including a lavish car and prime parcels of land, worth Sh46.44 million after the EACC moved to court seeking their forfeiture.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission wants Charles Muia Mutiso, deputy director in charge of external resources at the Treasury, to surrender the assets to the government.
The commission suspects that Mutiso acquired the assets through corrupt and illicit means after he failed to satisfactorily explain their source.
“The commission established that there were reasonable grounds to suspect that the respondent was, during the period he acquired the assets, engaged in corrupt conduct and economic crime,” EACC said in documents filed in court seeking orders to attach the properties.
According to the documents filed by Rosslyne Murugi, an advocate for the commission, on May 3, 2020, Mutiso who, only earned an average net monthly salary of Sh118, 691, amassed massive wealth within five years of his employment.
The commission established that Mutiso accumulated cash amounting to Sh21.17 million in five bank accounts held in his name between April 1, 2015, and April 1, 2020.
Three accounts are held with Absa bank and the remaining two are held with Co-operative and KCB banks.
“Other than his salary from the National Treasury and Planning where he is employed, the respondent during the material period received through his said bank accounts numerous unexplained inward remittances, EFTs and cash deposits,” the documents read.
According to the court papers, Mutiso received Sh522, 087 over the five-year period through one of his bank accounts.
In yet another account, he received Sh16.40 million while in his third account Mutiso received Sh20.19 million.
The two accounts at Co-op and KCB received Sh2 million and Sh7.67 million respectively.
In addition, over the period, Mutiso received Sh9.58 million through his M-Pesa number.
He also acquired two parcels of land in Matungulu, Machakos County valued at Sh13.50 million. The officer also bought a Toyota S Wagon – KCH 393M worth Sh2.4 million.
“The commission seeks for orders declaring the accumulated unexplained assets valued at Sh46.44 million as unexplained,” reads part of the court document.
“Further, the commission seeks that the respondent be ordered to forfeit assets or pay the said sum to the government of Kenya,” EACC sought.
EACC holds that Mutiso acquired the items through corrupt and criminal dealings, adding that he was dishonest in declaring his income to the Kenya Revenue Authority.
Investigations by the commission established that besides incomes tax returns, the officer also filed monthly rental income returns for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 totalling Sh1.35 million.
According to information obtained from KRA by the commission, Mutiso declared that his only source of income between 2015 and 2019 was his employment only.
But when he appeared before the commission to explain himself, Mutiso alleged that he had earned income from farming, electronic business, dividends, family business and rental income.
“Investigations by the commission established that respondent was dishonest in declaring his income and assets with the public service commission as he concealed houses and rental income,” the documents read.
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