Friday, August 2, 2024 - Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chairperson David Oginde has gone on a rampage, accusing the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga of sabotaging the war against corruption.
This is after Ingonga withdrew the Ksh8.5
billion corruption case against former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala
just like he has done with other corruption cases ever since he came into
office.
Balala had been accused of engaging in
procurement fraud.
In a statement, Oginde accused the ODPP of the
constant dropping of high-profile corruption cases without proper legal justification,
saying the move was hindering his agency from discharging its constitutional
mandate.
“With these kinds of actions, our work is
undermined!” Oginde lashed out.
In Oginde's view, the ODPP withdrew the case
in an unwarranted manner and against the country's best interests.
Despite initially rejecting the withdrawal of
the case, a court in Malindi acquitted the accused persons and ruled that any
future decision to charge them afresh on the same facts would be an abuse of
the court process.
However, EACC opposed the DPP’s bid to
withdraw the case, claiming it was against the public interest and a drawback
in the fight against corruption.
Balala was arrested by EACC on December 22,
2023, and charged with alleged procurement fraud and theft of public funds.
His arrest and arraignment came after the DPP,
upon independent review of the file, concurred with EACC that there was
sufficient evidence to charge the former CS.
The ex-CS had also been accused of unlawfully
acquiring public property contrary to Section 45(1)(a) as read with 48(1) of
the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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