Transport CAS Chris Obure has disclosed how ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi wrote him a letter as vice president on May 9, 2002, seeking a direct procurement of Postal Corporation of Kenya equipment for upgrading postal services in the country as part of the controversial Anglo Leasing project.
Speaking to a Nairobi court at the opening of his defense testimony yesterday, the CAS, who was a Finance Minister at that time said Mudavadi told him the initiative was President Moi’s government agenda.
“Mudavadi informed me in the letter that it was the government’s intention to develop and upgrade the PCK,” Dr. Obure told Senior Principal Magistrate Anne Mwangi on Thursday.
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Mr. Obure also told Magistrate Mwangi that the former vice president told him the postal services would be improved through a broadband network data network connecting every post office in the county to each other and asked him to offer him assistance in achieving the government’s intention.
Other than being President Moi’s vice president, Mudavadi was also the Transport and Communications minister.
The Anglo-Leasing scandal is alleged to have started when the Kenyan Government wanted to replace its passport printing system, in 1997, but came to light after a revelation by a government officer, in 2002.
A sophisticated passport equipment system was sourced from France and forensic science laboratories for the police were sourced from Britain. The transaction was originally quoted at 6 million euros by a French firm but was awarded to a British firm, Anglo Leasing Finance, at 30 million euros.
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The Anglo-Leasing sales agent was Sudha Ruparell, a 48-year-old woman who is the daughter of Chamanlal Kamani and sister of Rashmikant Chamanlal Kamani and businessman Deepak Kamani.
Businessman Deepak Kamani and several former senior government officials are facing trial over the scandal.
