The High Court on Wednesday ordered forfeiture to the State of about Sh33 million in the bank accounts of former Youth and Gender Principal Secretary Lilian Omollo be forfeited to the government.
Justice Mumbi Ngugi ruled that the former PS, a suspect in the National Youth Service (NYS) fraud cases, failed to explain the source of the funds believed to be proceeds of crime.
“The respondents have millions of funds in their accounts and this court has found they are unable to show a legitimate source,” Judge Ngugi said.
She said that since Ms Omollo could not explain how she made the money, the only conclusion was that the funds were proceeds of crime and corruption, which she described as “that insidious scourge that has reduced our society to penury”.
Ms Omollo had put up a spirited fight to save the money in the accounts which were frozen following an application by the Assets Recovery Agency.
She argued that the money was part of her salary, some of which she earned before joining the government.
Ms Omollo further cited gratuity that she said was paid after she left the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) in 2015.
Through her lawyer Stephen Ligunya, she also said that when she joined the Jubilee government as a Permanent Secretary (PS), her salary was also channelled to one of the accounts.
She further stated that part of the money was proceeds from her farm in Rarieda, Siaya County, and her husband’s pay from a consultancy firm in South Sudan.
But ARA, through Mohamed Adow, said the agency gave Ms Omollo time to explain how she made the money but that her explanation was unsatisfactory.
An account at Equity Bank, registered in the name Lilian Muthoni Mbogo, had $67,331 while another in the name LIDI Estates Ltd had $28,981.
Another account at the same bank, also under LIDI Estates Ltd, had Sh2,297,495 while another had $8,979.
Another account at Equity in Ms Omollo’s name had Sh1.68 million while one in the name Sahara Consultants at Diamond Trust Bank had Sh5.65 million.
Three accounts in Ms Omollo’s children’s names had more than Sh11 million.
Documents filed in court state that the amounts were deposited between January 2016 and March 2018.
Ms Omollo was appointed PS for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs on December 18, 2015.
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