Noose tightens around (Dr?) Gachara

[Guest guest]

The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission has offered a Sh100,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of former National Aids Control Council director Margaret Gachara. In a paid advertisement appearing in Monday's Daily Nation, KACC says it wants to know the whereabouts of the former director in relation to corruption charges filed in court.Those with information can call Nairobi telephone numbers 2717468, 2719751 or 2717318.The former director has been charged with obtaining Sh24 million through false pretences. A warrant of arrest has already been issued.Recently, the Government admitted in court that it had failed to trace the former director.According to a report by investigating officer Albert Ariada, which was recently read to the court, Dr Gachara went to USA to visit her children.When Mr Ariada went to her home on February 1 to execute the warrant, he was informed that Dr Gachara was out of the country.But on a subsequent visit, Dr Gachara's children told him they had travelled from the US after they learnt through the internet that their mother was facing a charge.Mr Ariada also said Dr Gachara passed through Arusha, Tanzania to fly to the US.The former director is charged that on August 20, 2001, for purposes of gain, she instructed Ms Caroline Ausukuya and Mr Francis Thuku human resource and finance manager at the council respectively, to treat her salary figure in her letter of appointment as net salary and not gross.The chairman of the council, Dr Mohammed Abdullah, was also charged with abuse of office by arbitrarily increasing the salary of Dr Gachara. The case will be mentioned on March 15.The former director has since been replaced by Dr Orege, 52, who has been in an acting capacity since October last year. A skin specialist, Dr Orege has a doctorate in Aids and tuberculosis from Harvard University. He worked for the Kenya Medical Research Institute for 22 years.Dr Gachara's troubles began when the Efficiency Monitoring Unit of the Office of the President revealed that falsified salary details from her former employer were presented to the government while she was being recruited.She ended up earning Sh2 million a month - nearly seven times more than her salary scale entitlement of Sh300,000 a month.

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