Court grants order to freeze Ngirita assets in NYS case

The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) has obtained an order freezing property, including land and vehicles, belonging to the Ngirita family, who are facing charges related to the loss of Sh468 million at the National Youth Service (NYS).
Justice Hedwig Ong’udi granted the orders after the agency said it has reasons to believe that the property in question was acquired through proceeds of crime and money obtained from NYS.

REGISTERED
The property is associated with Ms Phyllis Njeri, Mr Jeremiah Gichini Ngirita and their mother Lucy Wambui Ngirita.
It includes a parcel of land in Kitale’s Waitaluk, measuring 0.7 hectares and registered in the name of Ms Sylvia Ajiambo Ongoro.
The agency said the land was sold to Mrs Ngirita on June 2, 2016.

PAYMENTS
Another piece of land is situated in Naivasha town and was sold to Mrs Ngirita by New Hope for All Nations on July 8, 2016 and another one acre in Nakuru East, which she acquired on April 25, 2017.
She is also said to have bought land in Kiamunyi, Nakuru town, on October 28, 2016 while Mr Gichini is said to have acquired a parcel in Mwicingiri, Naivasha, on July 1, 2016.
The Ngiritas have denied charges of fraudulently receiving payments from NYS for goods not supplied.

ACCOUNTS
Other than Mrs Ngirita, her daughter Njeri and son Gichini, her other daughter Anne Wambere Wanjiku and daughter-in-law Catherine Wanjiku Mwai also face charges.
Evidence in court showed more than 36 companies participated in bids to supply goods to NYS in 2011 and the Ngirita family, said to have received more than Sh226 million, was not listed among the firms.
ARA said preliminary investigations have revealed the Ngiritas received huge amounts of money through their companies and personal accounts, which were split into several transactions.

RESPONDENTS
The said money was transferred within the same bank into accounts owned by the family members and associates, said the agency, with some of the funds being used to buy the suspected property.
“It is in the interest of justice that preservation orders are issued prohibiting the respondents jointly or singly or their agents from dealing in any manner with the aforementioned assets,” the application reads.
Also ordered to be preserved are three vehicles.