There is enough evidence to prove an Israeli construction company bribed Kenyan officials to get lucrative contracts.
This is according to police and the Israel Securities Authority (ISA) who said they had completed the investigation that started in February last year and would send the findings to the prosecutor.
Shikun & Binui and its units reportedly transferred bribery payments to civil servants in various African countries, especially in Kenya, “with the aim of increasing the company’s profits”.
According to Business Daily newspaper, the Israeli construction group through its foreign subsidiary Solel Boneh International Holdings (SBI Holdings) was the company chosen to build the World Bank-funded Mau Summit-Kericho-Kisumu highway at a cost of Sh14 billion in 2010. It was, however, accused of missing completion deadlines in upgrading the crucial link.
Some of the charges that are likely to be pressed include bribery of a foreign public servant, misrepresentation of corporate documents, conspiracy, disruption of legal proceedings, money laundering and misreporting to authorities between 2008 and 2016.
They said Shikun & Binui and its units transferred bribery payments to civil servants in various African countries, especially in Kenya, “with the aim of increasing the company’s profits”.
During the investigation in conjunction with Kenya’s anti-corruption unit in Nairobi, 50 suspects were interrogated, including 19 public servants in Kenya.
This puts pressure on the government of Kenya to also initiate its investigations to find out the officials in the Ministry of Transport and its departments and agencies who received bribes.
According to the National Corruption Survey released by the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission in 2017, the Ministry of Transport was ranked as the fourth most corrupt ministries in the country, with chances of a bribe being paid at 13 per cent.
Former minister Michael Kamau is facing corruption charges over a Sh33 million tender award for a road in Bungoma County. Kamau is facing charges of flouting procurement laws in the award of the Kamukuywa-Kaptuma-Kapsokwony-Sirisia road tender award on March 15, 2008.
