The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) has flagged the purchase of Sh374.5 million apartments by one Margaret Wanja Muthui and her Sh94 million bank account balance.

Margaret is a deputy director at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) who bought 35 apartments in just four months to the withdrawal of the old Sh1000 bank notes.

The Kenyan government withdrew the Sh1,000 denomination of bank notes in an effort to fight corruption and money laundering.

ARA reports say that Margaret bought 11 apartments worth Sh264 million in Kileleshwa in cash between the months of July 2019 and September 2019.

Margaret also bought another flat in Ruaraka at Sh15 million in June 2019.

ARA has successfully petitioned the court to freeze Margaret’s assets aiming at handing them back to the State.

The state agency’s argument is based on the fact that Margaret could not afford the multi-million properties within such a small time on her salary.

It is suspected that Margaret got the money through backdoor means such as kickbacks from corrupt road contractors and she is currently under probe.