2006年VOA标准英语-Kenya's Anti-Corruption Body to Seize Millions

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
14 September 2006

The Kenya Anti-Corruption² Commission plans to seize millions of dollars, allegedly made through corrupt¹ deals.   
 

		Aaron Ringera

Kenyan media Thursday quoted commission director Aaron Ringera as saying the money is in 78 bank accounts belonging to current and former politicians, senior civil servants and prominent business people.

Ringera said the commission has court warrants that will allow authorities to seize money in the accounts, and return it to the state.

Commission spokesman Nicholas Simani tells VOA, details of this and other actions will be made public at the end of October.

"We are supposed to prepare an annual report that is submitted to Parliament every year detailing all the activities that we have done in the course of the year," he said.  "We've always been getting a lot of bashing that we've not done a lot. So, we're going to highlight all the cases that we've done [and], also the recovered assets and the ones that we are still tracing."

Simani would not give further information on the amount to be seized, where the accounts are located, or the names of the individuals involved.

Peter Odoyo is a member of Kenya's parliament, who sits on the Public Accounts Committee. He tells VOA he is doubtful that the commission would be able to gain access to much of the money.

"It's good talk, but, here, you're dealing³ with foreign banks, you're dealing with foreign laws, you're dealing with jurisdictions⁴ that may not be particularly receptive to Kenyan laws, etc. etc., who may not be compatible with Kenyan laws," said Odoyo. "Some of this money is kept in Swiss bank accounts, you've got all sorts of secrecy⁵ laws."

Odoyo says parliament needs to pass a law that would enable the Kenyan government to work with other governments to recover the stolen funds.

Odoyo also calls the millions in the 78 bank accounts a "drop in the ocean." He estimates that $2 billion each year disappears from public coffers.

Corruption is a big problem in Kenya. In last year's Corruption Perceptions Index, issued by Transparency International, Kenya ranked 144th out of 159 countries for graft⁶.

Two high-profile cases, the so-called Anglo Leasing Affair and the Goldenberg scandal, are estimated to have cost the economy more than $1 billion.

Former Governance and Ethics⁷ permanent secretary John Githongo was pivotal in revealing the details of the Anglo Leasing Affair, in which government contracts were to be awarded to fictitious⁸ companies.

Githongo went into exile in London more than a year ago, claiming that his life was in danger, but this week said he wanted to come back to Kenya.

Member of Parliament Odoyo says the Public Accounts Committee is eager to meet with Githongo to get details on some of the cases the committee is working on.

1 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 jurisdictions   

司法权( jurisdiction的名词复数 )； 裁判权； 管辖区域； 管辖范围

参考例句：

• Butler entreated him to remember the act abolishing the heritable jurisdictions. 巴特勒提醒他注意废除世袭审判权的国会法令。
• James I personally adjudicated between the two jurisdictions. 詹姆士一世亲自裁定双方纠纷。

5 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

6 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

7 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

8 fictitious   

adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的

参考例句：

• She invented a fictitious boyfriend to put him off.她虚构出一个男朋友来拒绝他。
• The story my mother told me when I was young is fictitious.小时候妈妈对我讲的那个故事是虚构的。