The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating a senior officer from the Tana River County Government after she was found with undeclared Sh2.699 million in cash at the Malindi International Airport in Kilifi County.
EACC officer in charge of Upper Coast Region Ahmed Khalid said Ms Marim Buno, the county’s acting Finance Chief Officer, was found with the cash in her suitcase on Tuesday morning.
Mr Khalid said they wanted to know how a public officer had such a large sum of money.
“I want to confirm we arrested Ms Buno during screening by the airport security and she is in our custody. We are investigating where a public officer could get such money in her possession,” he said.
Mr Khalid said the officer was to fly to Nairobi from Malindi on a flight scheduled for 8.50am.
Preliminary investigation revealed Ms Buno was in the company of other officers from Tana-River County including the Personal Assistant to Governor Dhado Godhana and others.
According to Malindi sub-county police boss John Kemboi, Ms Buno could not explain the source of the cash.
“She was intercepted at the airport and during screening, she had money that she had not declared. We interrogated her and she said the
money was for paying staff from Tana River County who are in a meeting in Nairobi,” Mr Kemboi said.
He said police then handed the matter to EACC for further investigations.
“We handed over the officer and the money to the EACC to know whether she is telling the truth,” he said. BY DAILY NATION