Via The Star
The Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has given the clearest signal yet that heads will roll in the Sh21 billion dam scandals even as it emerged the probe targets four fresh dams.
In a statement that sent panic across government, Haji described graft evidence emerging in the construction of the Kimwarer and Arror dams as shocking.
“My office has closely followed the emerging case details and upon reviewing the preliminary report presented to me by the team of prosecutors, I have been persuaded that the complaints lodged were not without merit and the evidence so far suggest the breaches of the law emerging, and their consequences merit intense and thorough investigations,” Haji said in a statement to newsrooms on Friday.
In his statement, Haji revealed that the probe has been extended to Itare Dam, the Embobut Multipurpose dam, the Lower Turkwel Irrigation scheme and the Napuu II Irrigation Scheme.
The DPP revealed that a large number of government officials were involved in the entire process in a clear indication that the looming graft purge will have many casualties.
The statement is likely to put Deputy President William Ruto and his allies in an awkward position after claiming publicly that the two deals are clean.
The DPP termed the amounts involved as shocking and confirmed that in the Arror and the Kimwarer Dams, Sh21 billion had been paid out.
“I have also noted the shocking magnitude of the amounts involved and the range of parties that are of interest to the investigations which in turn guarantee that the investigations themselves are of necessity complex and cover a wide range of areas,” Haji announced.
Ruto this week declared no money will be lost because Jubilee is a responsible government.
“You’ve heard that government has lost about Sh21 billion in Kimwarer and Arror dam, which is a flat lie!” a furious Ruto said.
“The money in question is about Sh7 billion and for every coin that has been paid, we have a bank guarantee. No money will be lost because we are a responsible government.”
But on Friday, Haji asked for what he termed a fair opportunity to deliver justice to the country.
“The investigations and any ensuing prosecutions will be undertaken professionally devoid of any witch-hunt, political considerations or any other extraneous matters,” he said.
Haji said the probe also involves asset recovery that may have been acquired through proceeds of crime.
“I have directed that financial investigations that may lead to identifications of any properties that are proceeds of crime be given a top priority so as to ensure that any ensuing prosecution will not only be limited to securing convictions against the perpetrators of the fraudulent activities but also predicated upon recovery of public funds that may have been improperly expended,” he stated.
The investigations also involve unearthing possible cases of kickbacks with detectives seeking international help.
Haji said Kenyan international partners are willing to assist the county to any fraudulent activities
He said he constituted a team of prosecutors to work with the detectives from the DCI to unearth any rot.
He said the probe involves analysis of a variety of areas including the tendering process, the discrepancies in the parties that bid for the tenders, the parties that won the tenders and those who were granted and awarded the tenders.
He also said detectives were probing the award of tenders in the absence of project designs, and attempt to manufacture the designs as well as failure to secure any land for the project.
The sleuths are also looking at the legal and financial status of the Italian Contractor, CM di Ravenanna that was awarded most of the contracts, including claims of involvement in fraud by the company in Rome
