This man used to earn KSh 180,000 but spent KSh 41 million in 12 months.
Amuti earned Sh180,000 monthly pay but spent Sh41 million between September 1, 2007, and June 26, 2008, without proof of how he sourced it.
The Supreme Court has paved the way for the government to auction property belonging to a former civil servant to recover Sh41 million that he siphoned 12 years ago.
Spent millions in 10 months.
The former National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation (NW&PC) finance manager Stanley Mombo Amuti spent Sh41 million in 10 months to spruce up his life, but could not explain where he got the money from.
And now, he will lose to the government each of the properties he bought, including a house in Komarocks, after the Supreme Court struck out his case.
First person to have unexplained wealth.
The top court ruled it had no powers to hear the case.Amuti’s case set the benchmark for State agencies to go after graft lords. He was the first person to be found with unexplained wealth.
A five-judge bench led by Chief Justice David Maraga, his deputy Philomena Mwilu, Justices Mohamed Ibrahim, Smokin Wanjala, and Isaac Lenaona unanimously upheld an objection raised by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The judges ruled:
Having held as above, it is our conclusion that Article 163(4) (a) was wrongfully invoked by the appellant and the Preliminary Objection is therefore merited. The appeal herein is struck out for want of jurisdiction under Article 163(4) (a) of the Constitution.
EACC had urged the top court to dismiss Amuti’s case as there was no dispute on the interpretation of the law in the lower courts.
According to the EACC, the only issue on the table was whether he had unexplained wealth.
The court heard that Amuti earned Sh180,000 monthly salary. He, however, managed to buy, among other things, Toyota Land Cruiser, which is a high-end car, and lands.
Red flag!
According to EACC it was not wrong for the man to have so much on him but failing to explain how he got it raised a red flag on how he sourced it.
The court said the anti-graft body investigators found Amuti with Sh300,000 cash and upon raiding his house, they found Sh3.9 million cash.
This was not his salary or rent. Where was the money coming from? It was impossible to also spend that much money without first acquiring it.
Amuti was the first man in the country to have his property forfeited by the State on accusations of obtaining them through fraud. He, however, contested the same arguing that he was not required to explain how he got Sh41 million.
(H/T Standard)