Businessman’s bank accounts frozen in City Hall graft purge

The High Court has frozen bank accounts and blocked transfer of nine luxury cars belonging to a businessman charged with graft at City Hall.

The court has agreed with the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) to freeze Sh8.57 million at Equity Bank and Sidian Bank accounts linked to Antony Ng’ang’a Mwaura and his companies.

The court further froze the transfer of his luxury cars including Mercedes Benz, Toyota Land Cruiser, Lexus LX 450 and Nissan Qashqai, saying they were obtained unlawfully.

The freeze orders, acccording to the agency, are linked to court cases where Mr Mwaura is fighting charges of emebezzlement of public funds from the coffers of teh county.

Mr Mwaura is accused of using his two companies Hardi Enterprises Ltd and Toddy Civil Engineering Company Ltd to defraud City Hall.

Investigations revealed that on November 22, 2018 Hardi received suspicious payments amounting to Sh102.4 million in five tranches at its Equity Bank account.

On the same date, it transferred Sh2 million to Toddy’s account at Equity and another Sh10 million to Toddy’s account at Sidian bank a day later.

A month prior to this, Hardi received Sh73.16 million from Nairobi City County in three tranches.