Sugar Scam Mastermind Nabbed at JKIA Upon Return from Dubai
Chrispus Waithaka, the alleged mastermind behind the theft of condemned sugar worth Sh163 million, was apprehended by detectives upon his arrival from Dubai at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Saturday night.
Mr. Waithaka, a director at Assets and Cargo Limited, was among the 20 April witnesses to the breaking of customs seals on 40 containers of condemned sugar.
Before he was apprehended by immigration officials in Nairobi, the suspect had been flagged by security agencies and a travel ban had been issued against him.
Officers turned him over to DCI detectives, who arrested him at the Kamukunji Police Station and remanded him in custody until his court appearance this morning.
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During his arrest, the suspect produced a copy of an Sh100,000 interim bail order from the Mombasa High Court, which his attorney claimed to have obtained on Friday.
“He had a copy of an interim order for anticipatory bail in the amount of Sh100,000 issued by the High Court in Mombasa on 19 May 2023 via Criminal Miscellaneous Application number E067/2023,” according to a police report.
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions is expected to approve charges against senior officials of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), among other suspects, following the conclusion of the sugar scandal investigation.
Felix Koskei, the head of the Civil Service, announced the suspension of 27 officials from Kebs, KRA, the National Police Service (NPS), the Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) on Wednesday of last week to make way for investigations into the irregular release of condemned sugar.
Managing Director Lt Col (Ret) Bernard Njiraini, Dr. Geoffrey Muriira (Director Quality Assurance and Inspection), Hilda Keror (Manager Inspection, Mombasa Port Office), Liston Lagat (Assistant Manager, ICDN Nairobi), Stephen Owuor (Principal Officer), and Peter Olima Joseph (Inspector, Mombasa) are among the suspended Kebs officials.
Joseph Kaguru, Mwanja Masinde, Stephen Muiruri, Moses Okoth, Doris Mutembei, Chacha Hondo, Carol Nyagechi, and Derick Kago are among the individuals affected by KRA.
The AFA’s representatives were Oscar Kai and Patrick Magut.
George Mithamo and Joel Kirui from NPS, Benard Ngumbi and Raphael Mwaka from DCI, Joseph Maita Mweni and Isackop Bonai from Port Health and Nema, Stephen Cheruiyot from the Anti-Counterfeiting Authority, Daniel Ngugi from KEPHIS, Willy Koskei from the EACC, and Edwin Ruto from the Kenya Police Authority were also suspended.
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The sugar
20,000 bags of sugar weighing 50 kilograms each, were imported into the country in 2018 and condemned by the KEB due to the absence of an expiration date.
The agency then ordered their reshipment or destruction at the owner’s expense.
However, “in fulfillment of its statutory mandate, the Kebs National Standards Council approved the destruction of the consignment by converting it for industrial ethanol use,” Mr. Koskei said in a statement last week.
Following the competitive procurement of a distiller and the collection of the necessary fees and taxes, Kebs and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) were to oversee the conversion.
Assets and Cargo Ltd wrote to Kebs MD Njiraini in December 2022 requesting that the condemned brown sugar be converted into ethanol through distillation, and the shipment was released to him in April of this year.
Some of the officials who were arrested and questioned by detectives last week stated that the security seals on the containers containing the shipment were removed without their permission and the commodity was sold via private treaty for Sh1,000 per 50kg bag.
“It has since been determined that the shipment was improperly diverted and released according to the procedure. Moreover, the conditions for the open and competitive procurement of the distiller were violated, and the applicable taxes were not paid. Mr. Koskei added that it is evident that some officials in the relevant agencies have abdicated their duties to the detriment of the public.
The police were only able to recover 14 of the 20,000 bags of forbidden sugar.
Sugar Scam Mastermind Nabbed at JKIA Upon Return from Dubai
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