Former PS Omollo asks judge to visit Siaya farm

Former PS Lillian Omollo on Thursday pleaded with a judge trying the National Youth Service theft case to visit her farm in Uyoma, Siaya County, after investigators ruled that agribusiness said to generate millions of shillings was non-existent.

Making the application before Justice Mumbi Ngugi, Ms Omollo said the visit will help the court to make a just conclusion.

Police attached to the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) claimed they found no farming activity on the land thay said was under shrubs during their investigations of alleged theft of public funds from the NYS.

The State has frozen Sh33.1 million belonging to Ms Omollo, a former PS for public service and youth, on claims it was linked to the NYS scandal.

Ms Omollo has maintained that she has green houses, where she farms tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons among other crops.

The former PS said she took up serious farming five years ago and some of the deposits made in the frozen accounts were proceeds from the farm.

But the ARA has opposed Ms Omollo application, saying she was given an opportunity to explain the source of the money but her answers were not satisfactory, making the agency to conclude that they were proceeds of crime.

Justice Ngugi will rule on the application on October 1.

Ms Omollo has fought off claims that the frozen accounts held money suspected to be proceeds of crime and stated that there is no nexus between the money and the National Youth Service, to warrant the forfeiture.

“I deny the allegations that no reasonable explanation was given showing legitimate source of funds, principally because on November 19, 2018 I duly gave and delivered to the applicant my documents and evidence showing legitimate sources of funds held in the subject bank accounts”, she said.