Assets worth Sh1.8 billion have so far been recovered from National Youth Service (NYS) corruption cases.
Assets Recovery Agency Director Muthoni Kimani on Thursday said that Sh1.3 billion had been recovered from the first NYS scandal and Sh500 million from the subsequent one.
Mrs Kimani explained that the recovery process is complex, especially when dealing with individuals who have stashed assets in other countries.
"Ours is to follow the money trail and see who benefitted directly or indirectly from the proceeds of corruption and take them to court. The idea about freezing assets enables us to disrupt and dismantle cartels," she said.
Addressing an anti-corruption training workshop at Tom Mboya Labor College in Kisumu, Mrs Kimani observed that culprits have advisers who help them conceal their assets, hence complicating the recovery process. But "we want to make it hard for people to steal", she said.
COORDINATE
She called on the public to submit intelligence reports on individuals engaging in corruption.
Some of the parastatals present at the forum were: Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Kenya Revenue Authority, Financial Reporting Center, and Central Bank of Kenya.
The meeting was aimed at enhancing cooperation and coordination among the agencies at the county level.
"There is no place that states the agencies cannot work together. In terms of ensuring work is perfect, the agencies need each other because any rivalry will be to the benefit of criminals," she said.
The director added that if the fight against corruption is to succeed, the agencies must foster autonomy, integrity and commitment.
She added that coordination will also reduce duplication of cases, which has been a concern for witnesses who are subjected to investigations by more than one agency.
