Junet’s role in NYS scandal to keep him in EACC radar

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission agency has recommended that Sports Chief Administrative Secretary Hassan Noor be charged for his involvement in the infamous Sh791 NYS scandal.

An investigation report by the EACC covering January-March 2020 shows that there were irregularities in the awarding of a Sh21.8 million tender. Tender was awarded to Zeigham Enterprises whose director was the outspoken Suna East MP Mohamed Junet.

Junet is Mr. Noor’s brother in law.

By the time the tender was awarded to Junet, Noor had worked as a  senior director of administration at the Ministry of Devolution and National Planning, meaning he chaired the tender committee that awarded the contract to Junet’s Zeigham Enterprises.

Junet owns the controversial company with his brother Hussein Mohamed Haji with whom they got contract to supply machine belts, submersible pumps and a centrifugal clutch cut section.

“Investigations established that the Technical Evaluation Committee recommended the award of the tender to the said company despite it not meeting the technical specifications set out in the tender document,” EACC says report read.

Fresh investigation have returned to haunt Raila Odinga’s confidant and it puts him in an awkward position since Odinga and his party loyalists were the loudest on the NYS scandal and his boys took part in the fraud.

The Anti graft body is accusing Noor of failing to disclose conflict of interest, despite knowing that he was married to Junet’s sister, Meymuna Sheikh Nuh.

EACC has established that Zeigham Enterprises wired Sh21,670,000, which was part of payments from NYS, to a company owned by Noor which is a classic case of conflict of interest.

In January 13, 2020, the Twalib Mbarak led commission compiled an investigation report and forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji for approval but DPP returned the file to the EACC on June 24, 2020.

EACC recommended consolidation of the file with other NYS files as they called for further probe.

The anti-graft agency wanted the ministerial technical evaluation committee members prosecuted together with Noor for willful failing to adhere to the procurement laws.

EACC also recommended that tender committee members must face charges of conflict of interest and abuse of office. It will initiate serious and in depth probe to ensure that loopholes are sealed before Noor, Junet and other accomplices are arrested and arraigned in court.