Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju and former Attorney General Githu Muigai are among 70 people who have been questioned over the loss of Ksh2 billion during the construction of the Lake Basin Mall in Kisumu.
The Standard indicates that the detectives questioning the suspects in the scandal wanted to find out how the cost of construction ballooned from the initial Ksh2.6 billion to Ksh4.6 billion.
The investigators also wanted to know how and why the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) took a Ksh2.5 billion loan from a local bank using government land as collateral without the consent of the Attorney General.
The title deed of the multi-billion mall land is allegedly in the hands of the Chinese developers.
“The file is with the legal department. The legal team is perusing the list and will guide on its final cut.
“The number might increase or it will be reduced based on the team’s observations and recommendation,” disclosed an EACC official.
It is alleged that the list is constituted of 26 current and former LBDA managers, three lawyers and a number of politicians.
Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission [EACC] claims the taxpayers’ money was lost due to inflated costs of construction.
DPP Noordin Haji is expected to take up to the file from EACC and begin the prosecution of those found to have had a hand in the scandal.
Sources indicate that the list of suspects cuts across the political divide with the Kisumu County Speaker also reportedly questioned.
The Mall was constructed through a partnership between Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) and Eda Man properties, a Chinese developer on a 20:80 basis.
