Africa-Press – Kenya. A total of 1,056 public officials are operating bank accounts outside Kenya, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has said. Most of these officials, EACC said are those working in various Kenyan Embassies and top politicians.
Under Section 19 of Leadership and Integrity, it is an offence for a public officer to operate a bank account outside the country without declaring it to the Commission.
“So far, we have approved 1,056 bank accounts from various individuals to operate foreign bank accounts,” the statement read.
EACC said the accounts are reviewed yearly to ensure the holders use them for approved purposes. It says the account holders are expected to submit bank statements annually for scrutiny on January 31 of each year.
“Under the law, public officials operating bank accounts outside Kenya are required to submit annual bank statements to the commission for review,” it said.
In 2020, the agency threatened to take legal action against 191 staff from the Foreign Ministry who it said were operating illegal bank accounts outside Kenya.
As per the Act, a public official who fails to declare ownership of a bank account outside Kenya faces a jail term of three years and a fine of Sh5 million.
“An audit of bank accounts held by public officers outside Kenya has established that 191 officers serving under your ministry, currently in active foreign service, are illegally operating bank accounts outside Kenya, having not declared their operation to the commission,” EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak’s said in a statement in September 2020.
Mid-last year, EACC said 560 government employees had been cleared to run overseas bank accounts. Payment of school fees is one of the main reasons given by non-diplomatic public officers for opening accounts.
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