Thika Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo’s husband has made an application before court seeking for the release of Sh 2 M that was recovered from their home saying the money belongs to him and not his wife.
Evans Achoki says that when the money was found the EACC officers did not ask its source or who it belonged to but rather just took it saying it was his wife’s money.
He wants an order issued directing the immediate and unconditional release of the
sum of Sh. 2,070,000 unlawfully seized from their residence.
He says during the raid, EACC purported to have found Sh. 2,070,000 in the
house and sought to seize it, making unfounded insinuations that it was linked to his wife.
“The said sum belongs solely to the Applicant, lawfully acquired from the
proceeds of his legitimate agricultural business, which involves livestock trade,
crop farming, and the sale of agricultural produce,” he claims.
Achoki through lawyer Shadrack Wambui says EACC attempt to associate these funds with his wife, without even a basic inquiry into their source, demonstrates clear bad faith and a deliberate effort to distort facts to suit a predetermined narrative.
According to court papers, the alleged investigation concerns irregularities over two financial years, yet they portray the discovery of this amount as inherently suspicious,ignoring the self-evident reality that a hardworking businessperson can amass such savings over time.
Achoki claims that despite the search order being issued solely against his wife, EACC sought to seize his personal property, including his mobile phone, without any order or justification.
“They even attempted to take away the belongings of the household staff, conduct that was only halted when vehement objections were raised. This level of
overreach suggests that the raid was never about a lawful investigation but
rather an indiscriminate effort to harass and humiliate,” he says.
Achoki says his perspective is distinct from his wife’s, as he is not seeking relief against the accusations levelled against her but rather the protection of his own rights and reputation, which are now being unfairly entangled in this matter.
However, he says EACC actions appear designed not only to tarnish the his wife’s reputation but also to extend that reputational damage to him despite
his complete lack of involvement in the allegations under investigation.
“EACC have yet to explain why, despite their allegations of financial misconduct against the Atambo, they attempted to seize property belonging to other individuals in the household,” reads court papers.
