Sonko summoned by anti-graft body over Passaris ‘unpaid’ New York trip remarks
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commissions (EACC) has summoned Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko for questioning over public utterances he made against Nairobi Women Representative, Esther Passaris, regarding her unpaid per diem for a trip she took to New York, USA.
EACC wants the governor to record a statement on the allegations he made on June 1, 2019 at Pumwani grounds that Passaris had allegedly been demanding double per diem from the county government.
The governor has also been called up to record a statement on graft.
ALLEGATIONS
In June, after the governor made the allegations, Passaris invited investigation agencies to probe the claims, vowing that “this will be the last time her integrity is questioned with falsehoods”.
Passaris also said that she would visit the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), EACC and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to clear her name over the matter.
Immediately after the summons, Sonko, who was attending the memorial services of the late Bomet Governor, Dr Joyce Laboso and the late MP for Kibra Ken Okoth, issued a statement saying that he will honour them after the services.
CASE TO ANSWER
“I acknowledge receipt of summons by the EACC relating to alleged utterances I made, directed to Hon Esther Passaris, the Nairobi City County Woman Representative, and her unpaid per diem for a trip she made to New York in March 2019 despite the county having paid for her air ticket to New York and before that Viena,” Sonko said.
He also assured his constituency that if EACC finds that he has a case to answer, he will step aside.
“I want to categorically state that, in the event it is established that I have a case to answer before the law, I am ready to step aside to allow the EACC complete investigations and determination of the matter,” he said.