The management of Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund (SASDF) is on the spot over a myriad of accusations.
They range from questionable expenditure of public funds as calls for an in-depth forensic audit into its accounts gain ground.
This is according to petitioner Amos Nyasani who has petitioned the National Assembly to look into irregular hiring of staff, questionable procurement and irregular expenditures
The petition is calling for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Amin Mohamed to investigate the irregular dealings at the fund.
Several documents outlining the irregularities have been tabled before the Special Funds Account Committee of the National Assembly.
“An audit is urgently required to save the public from further unwarranted embezzlement and pilferage of public resources.” Said the petitioner.
This comes as it emerges that the fund operates with minimal oversight from the National Treasury and that it has no work plan and instead prefers adhoc programmes, which exposes it to manipulation.
In October last year, the petitioner wrote to the DCI and highlighted how the SASDF disregards board’s approval and oversight role, misuse of public assets and resources, fictitious per diem claim and inflation of bills to cover-up dubious payments.
There is also doubtful transfer of staff members, conflict of interest, irregular hiring of staff and nepotism among the issues that needs to be investigated at the fund.
“Payments worth billions of shillings have been made without the approval of the board, which is against the regulations governing the fund,” the complaint to the DCI reads.
“An investigation and analysis of payments processed by the fund before board approval will prove this,” the letter to the DCI reads.
It is copied to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO Twalib Mbarak, Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) chairperson- the Ombudsman- Ms Florence Kajuju and Attorney-General Justin Muturi.
The document wants an analysis of all the tender documents, approvals and issued Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) undertaken to reveal the extent of manipulation of the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act and their attendant regulations.
Of interest to the DCI is whether since the fund started operating in the third quarter of 2018/19, Sh8 billion was collected within the first six months of operation.
The DCI will also establish whether in the 2019/20 financial year, Sh9 billion was collected, Sh6.6 billion in the 2020/21 financial year, Sh13 billion during the 2021/22 year and Sh10 billion in the 2022/23 financial year.
The DCI also has the task of determining whether World Rally Championship (WRC) received Sh5.2 billion from the fund, National Olympics Committee (NOC) Sh2.5 billion, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Sh800 million, Kenya Rugby Union Sh500 million and whether Sh230 million was sent to athletes in cash awards during the Covid-19 period.
“An investigation on all the payments approved by the fund in comparison with the market rates should be done to reveal the extent of inflation of bills,” the document reads adding; “for all goods and services purchased by the fund, there should be confirmation that they met the specifications and requirements as dictated by the law.”
To get to the bottom of the matter, the DCI has been called upon to undertake an audit of the accounts of the fund as well as personal accounts of senior managers at the fund as well as those of the board members and some suppliers.
This is in a bid to expose the extent of fraudulent activities and possible conflict of interest at the fund even as allegations of falsified local and foreign trips emerge.
There are also calls for a review of all meetings, minutes and deliberations of the committee of staff of the fund appointed by the management to rationalize requests submitted for funding.
“This committee draws questionable allowances and incurs unnecessary expenses since they work during normal hours performing duties commensurate with their job description for which they are paid a salary.” the petition reads